


God Save The Children

by tweetysrcclt9



Series: Avatar Hermione and the Master of Death [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Airbending & Airbenders, Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Alternate Origin Story, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern with Bending (Avatar), Angst with a Happy Ending, Avatar: The Last Airbender References, BAMF Hermione Granger, Bending (Avatar), Bloodbending (Avatar), Earthbending & Earthbenders, Elemental Magic, F/M, Fantasy, Firebending & Firebenders, Ginny Weasley Bashing, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Hermione Granger-centric, Hungarian Horntails, Implied Sexual Content, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Master of Death Harry Potter, Metalbending & Metalbenders, Molly Weasley Bashing, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Prophecy, Rituals, Romance, Ron Weasley Bashing, Second Chances, Spirit Guides, Spirit World, Time Travel, Wandlore (Harry Potter), Waterbending & Waterbenders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 70,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22934959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tweetysrcclt9/pseuds/tweetysrcclt9
Summary: Long ago, magic's purest form is elemental bending. As the years pass, wand magic causes its eradication.Hermione Granger-Weasley mysteriously dies at age fifty due to a conspiracy plaguing her entire life. In the in-between, she meets Avatar Aang and discovers her true destiny is way beyond being Minister for Magic.She prepares to go back in time to make things right but Harry Potter arrives in the in-between and changes her plans...
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Hannah Abbott/Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius Black/Amelia Bones
Series: Avatar Hermione and the Master of Death [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652572
Comments: 60
Kudos: 285





	1. In Death, Secrets Are Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is supposed to be my entry for the 2020 Quantum Bang but I decided to withdraw from the fest. 
> 
> The idea for this fic started when I saw a post on Harmony & Co that tackled the effects of a love potion-induced conception.

**In Death, Deceits are Revealed**

Fifty-year-old Hermione Granger–Weasley, the Minister for Magic of Wizarding Britain, sat behind her large oak desk. Her fiftieth birthday was barely a month ago, but she felt her age in her aching body. She was not certain if it's because of the tortures she endured during the war or the stress that piled up in her years while climbing the ranks at the ministry, but at fifty, she felt so old. Nobody knew about the recurring headaches and body pain that she had been experiencing ever since she hit the age of forty-five. And every year since then, it just seemed to get worse.

After the annual mandatory health check-up for all incumbent ministry employees, she was saddened at the results of her tests. Per the healer who was in charge of her health scan, she had some sort of unknown and incurable disease. The worst part, her days were numbered and she told nobody about this disheartening news. Even her husband, Ronald, had no idea that she was suffering from an illness that would be taking her life soon.

Why would she tell him when he hardly ever talked to her nowadays? Besides, he was busy indulging himself with more pleasurable pursuits. She knew that he was secretly having an affair with a much younger blonde witch. She was even aware that the relationship started five years ago. Even if it hurt her pride that he was cheating on her with a younger and frankly, more attractive woman, she had long accepted it. At least when she was gone, Ron had someone to care for him.

Now if she could only find someone that she could entrust her beloved children to then she could die in peace. Rose and Hugo may be all grown-up now, but as a mother, she wanted to find someone trustworthy who would love and support them when she passed on.

She sighed sadly as she thought about her children. Both of them were thriving in their careers with Rose following her footsteps in the ministry and Hugo was chosen to be the first-string keeper for the Falmouth Falcons after three years of intensive Quidditch training.

Rose had Scorpius Malfoy, her boyfriend of six years so she at least was certain that her daughter had someone in her life supporting her unconditionally. On the other hand, there was Hugo who inherited Ron's happy-go-lucky personality. The worst part, despite her children's seemingly great life, they just didn't click with her. It was like her children hated her for some unknown reason.

She was actually afraid of the uncertain future.

Despite the innocent façade of success and excellence her children (most especially Rose) had on their freckled faces, she just had a gut feeling that something was utterly wrong with them. Maybe she was a failure as a mother but she just could not help thinking there was something sinister with her eldest child. Even Hugo, at times, displayed a certain hollowness in his eyes that was truly disconcerting.

Even when they were little, she noticed that Rose and Hugo were different compared to the other children they grew up with. While Victoire, Louis, and Freddie were rambunctious and active, she could not help but observe a certain sly cunning in her children that were rather scary at times, especially with the emptiness and unfeeling look in their chocolate brown eyes. While people had commented that her eyes were like windows to her soul, with her emotions all on display, Rose and Hugo's eyes were the exact opposite. She had mentioned it to Ron on many occasions but her husband only shrugged it off as some silly figment of her overly active imagination.

If Ron was right, she would never know. Now nearing the end of her life, she would never discover if her hunch was just that, or if it meant something more. As a mother though, she could only hope that her hunches were wrong. She only wanted what was best for her daughter and son even if they didn't care about her. Come to think about it, the only people her children seemed to care about was themselves. Oddly enough, Ron didn't seem to care about that fact as well. Her wayward husband was contented to just bask in the glory of having offspring who carried his name to successes in the ministry and the realm of professional Quidditch.

She sighed sadly as she thought about her worries. At this age, she didn't even have someone to vent out her frustrations to. At least in her thirties, she had her mum and dad to talk to. Now that her parents had passed on to their next great adventure many years ago, she truly felt alone in this world.

_If only Luna weren't in Sweden going on another adventure with her husband,_ she mused. Through the years, since she lost her special connection with her once dearest friend, Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood–Scamander had filled that void. Luna, with her quirks and endless optimism, listened to her rants about her problems and passionate ideas about anything she had set her mind into.

Come to think about it, she could no longer remember the last time she had a decent conversation with Harry. Ever since the war ended, both of them were caught up in their whirlwind romances with the two youngest Weasleys. She married Ron just short of two years after the war and Ginny and Harry married the year after that.

Now, as she tried to recall the last time she shared a real discussion with her once best friend – about life, their children, or anything really – she could only remember an instance when they were still considered as undesirables in a Voldemort controlled Britain. That was a time when she and Harry were staying in the tent during that damnable Horcrux hunt.

Her last real heart-to-heart talk with Harry was at the tent when Ron had left them. That was more than three decades ago! They were at a war that seemed impossible to win. They were cold and all alone with no one but each other to hold on to. Despite all of their trials in that once turbulent times, at least she and Harry were able to engage each other in real conversations.

Nowadays, all they discussed was related to their work. With her as the Minister for Magic and him as the Head Auror, their relationship could best be described as boss and subordinate at best. They were civil, professional, and truth be told, cold. Their once warm and comforting friendship was now forgotten and all that was left was a façade of ministerial camaraderie. A semblance of unity as colleagues determined to fight for a united front, a peaceful British Magical Society with both of them as its leaders.

With a narrow window in her very full schedule, she was left sitting behind her desk with only the memories of how life just passed her by. The memories came flashing through her mind in a blur. It seemed that the only memories that made her feel a semblance of real emotion, most especially joy, was during her time at Hogwarts and with her parents when she was a little girl. Before the end of their fifth year, all of her feelings seemed to be real and throbbing... She felt alive... And then after that, she just floated by doing her best to survive.

_Hermione Granger, what the hell happened to you,_ she wiped a tear that she did not even know was falling down her cheek.

She then remembered a famous statement by a reverend from the same congregation she and her parents used to hear service at. _I remember having this sense of love like I've never experienced it before,_ Rev. Craig Darling's wise words about nearing death. As that quote reverberated on her mind, she sighed once again.

_Was there a time that I truly felt a sense of love like I have never experienced it before?_ She asked herself. Scrambling through her memories again, her heart whispered that she did. At some point in her life, she did feel something that strong. She used to feel so much love. The sad thing though, she could not even remember whom that person she once felt so much love for. It was like there's a cloud on her head that made her forget about this person and the feelings they had given her.

When she heard a knock on the door, she absentmindedly replied, "please come in."

"Oh! Hello Rose, darling," she tried to flash a happy welcoming smile as her daughter entered the room. Whether she succeeded or not, she could not tell.

"Hello, mum," Rose greeted cheerfully. Despite the joy in her voice, it did not reach her eyes.

"What can I do for you, darling? Any trouble at the Department of Mysteries?" She asked with curiosity. As the rising star amongst the Unspeakables, Rose Granger–Weasley, _the Brightest Witch of Her Generation_ , only visited her if she had a report or some obscure case to discuss with the Minister.

Rose frowned a little before schooling her features into calm politeness. Approaching her desk, Rose crouched down and kissed her on the cheek. Hermione was surprised at her daughter's actions for she very rarely showed affection especially when she grew up. She hid her surprise though because it made her happy to see this side of Rose.

"I brought you something, mum," Rose grinned as she took a seat in front of her.

"Oh? What is it, darling?"

"I brought you some fruit shake. I reckon you need something that can help you destress," Rose shrugged.

"Thank you, Rose," Hermione smiled at her daughter as she accepted the metal tumbler.

"It's a mixture of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, mum. Your favorite," Rose added.

"Aww! Thank you, darling," Hermione smiled genuinely as she opened the lid of the tumbler. Eagerly sipping on the fruit shake, she was rather hungry after all, Hermione thought that maybe her dark thoughts about her children were just silly musings of an aging witch nearing her death.

When she was halfway into the drink, Rose bid her goodbye saying that she didn't want to disturb her mother's precious time any longer. With a wave to her daughter, Hermione finished the rest of her drink.

oOOOOo

Three hours later, Minister Hermione Granger–Weasley merely gave out a strangled gasp, before succumbing to her death. She would be found cold and lifeless sitting on her desk with her head perched on top of the current auror reports by her ever-loyal secretary, Coleen Creevey, the eldest daughter of Dennis.

oOOOOo

Hermione Granger–Weasley woke up to what seemed like a large castle with opulent gold pillars and high ceilings. She did not understand what was happening. The last thing that she remembered, she was in the office of the Minister for Magic, feeling slightly dizzy once again but just like every single day, she pushed through with her work. She was reading a thorough report about a case up north. It seemed there was another unknown dark entity rising into power, something that had never happened ever since the poor attempts of Delphini Riddle a few years ago. This time though, she was so perturbed because this looming threat seemed scarier than ever. There was no distinct pattern in the attacks and the aurors under Harry's leadership had not discovered a strong lead yet.

_Where am I?_ That was the lingering question in her mind as she stood up from the couch she presumed to have been sleeping on a few minutes ago. Seeing the elegantly decorated door engraved with a gold-plated crest at its center, she stood up and headed for that direction. Something about the door seemed to be calling her to enter so she took a deep calming breath and pulled on the golden handle. To her surprise, the heavy oak door was feather-light.

What blew her mind as she entered the door was the fact that she thought she would fall into the abyss. She gave out a frightened shrill as she stood – more like hovered – on scorching flames, anguished burnt bodies, an eternity of suffering in the fiery furnace of what could only be called as hell. Dante's _Inferno_ was just a mild version of the darkness and torture underneath her.

Taking the risk, she looked up and this time around, a very pleasant sight greeted her eyes. This was the complete opposite of the tragedy she was hovering upon. The sight above her was so beautiful and so peacefully happy that it made her want to cry. The sky was so blue, the clouds were so fluffy, and the grass so lush. More importantly, the few people she could see walking along in clothes of silken white linen shone brightly against the backdrop of grass and sky in their glowing halos. Again, it was like Dante's _Paradiso_ albeit it being more vividly beautiful and surreal.

Finally, it clicked. She woke up in this mysterious place because Hermione Jean Granger–Weasley was dead. After years of suffering from her mysterious illness, deteriorating every single day with only her healers in the know, she had finally succumbed to death.

Glancing around the seemingly never-ending room, she looked for a queue or anything really. She needed to find where she was supposed to be heading. She was certain that this place must be some sort of holding area, a place where one awaited judgment.

With that thought, she inwardly cringed as she started to panic. _Will I be deemed worthy to enter eternal paradise? Or will I be doomed to never-ending damnation?_ Clearing her head of morbid thoughts, she looked around once again to find any sort of clue as to what she should be doing next.

_Maybe there is a test here somewhere,_ she mused as she checked the endless line of emptiness. It was like she was standing in between two worlds. If she looked up there was joy and peace. If she looked down – no, she didn't need to see that horror once again.

Suddenly, a transparent double door she didn't notice simultaneously moved in opposite directions as it opened. She could not stop the gasp she let out when a young monk dressed in loose orange tunic matched with brown pants and some red boots exited from the glass-like doors. This boy's body was covered with tattoos of the same arrow design. He was carrying a long wooden staff of sorts but the craftsmanship was something she had not seen before. Instead of feeling scared or at the very least nervous, she felt calm and at peace. Something about this boy made her feel reassured. She knew that she could trust him. In a way, he reminded her of how the young Harry Potter used to make her feel just by being in his presence.

Standing slack-jawed in the middle of what could only be heaven and hell, she waited for the young monk to face her.

With a closed fist pressed against his open palm, the young monk respectfully bowed in front of her. Feeling the need to be polite, she imitated the gesture and offered a bow as well. When both of them stood upright, their eyes connected in a curious assessment. The young monk's dark brown eyes gave her a penetrating stare as if he was aiming to test the purity of her soul. She wanted to look away but she forced herself to not back down. If this was a test to enter the peaceful paradise above her, then she was determined to pass this test. She only hoped that she was deemed worthy.

"Welcome to the in-between, Avatar Hermione," the young monk greeted her with a friendly smile.

"A – avatar?" She stammered.

"Ah, yes. The knowledge of the powers of the avatar and elemental bending, the origin of magic, was lost to many generations through the years. Even the connection to the spirit world is severed," the young monk mused.

"Er, I'm sorry sir, but I'm totally – " Her statement was interrupted when the young monk started chuckling before he ended up in full-on bouts of laughter. Despite her confusion and the awkwardness of the situation, Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Please call me Aang or Avatar Aang," the young monk extended a hand to her. She awkwardly accepted it and they shook hands. She tried to give a firm grip but with a million questions running through her head, bothering her at wit's end, she just couldn't concentrate.

"You remind me of my Katara," Avatar Aang had a wistful smile on his face as he said that.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," she remarked with her eyebrows furrowing as her lips turned into a slight frown.

"Oh! Where are my manners? Sorry," Avatar Aang said sheepishly. Hermione could only watch in awe as he performed an elegant movement of his hands, something like Tai Chi or some other martial art, and then water appeared before it took the shape of an armchair that then hardened into ice. After that, there was a flame on Avatar Aang's hand and he levitated it on the right side to act as a torch that would keep them warm at the same time. She was so enamored with all the things she had seen that she did not even notice the slightly chilly atmosphere.

"Please…" Pointing to the conjured armchair, he urged her to sit down. Sensing that this was going to be a long discussion, she immediately complied. To her pleasant surprise, she did not feel cold despite the chair's material. The armchair felt comfortable and warm.

"Avatar Aang?"

"Yes, Avatar Hermione?"

"Er, just Hermione, please," she countered.

"Okay then. You have to promise to call me Aang though. All this Avatar stuff reminds me of the older incarnations," this was said with an eye roll.

"I am dead right?"

"Yes, you are. And this is what makes the Creator so sad. It's not your time to pass on yet," this was said with sadness and disappointment.

"Could you please explain everything to me Aang? I am very confused right now… For starters, why are you calling me Avatar Hermione? What is an Avatar anyway?" Hermione took a deep calming breath before she let herself explode in a series of rants. Despite the young friendly face, she was in the presence of a spiritual entity, someone who would surely have a say on whether or not she went to heaven or otherwise, for all eternity, so she must treat Aang with the utmost respect.

"I see Avatar Korra's impatience in you, dear one," Aang said in a mystical voice as he stared at her. She could feel herself starting to get impatient so she took a deep breath.

"And a bit like Avatar Roku too," Aang remarked as his eyes focused on her face.

"Aren't you going to – "

"Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished – " Aang interrupted her by starting to tell a whimsical tale.

"Hold it! Look, Aang, you are a great storyteller that is for certain but I just don't understand where you're going with all this folklore? Besides, I don't need a history lesson, in as much as I enjoy reading, I need the condensed version for now. So, let's start with the basics. What is an Avatar and why am I one? If this Avatar thing even exists, why is it that no one in current magical society knows about it? It's not even alluded to even in the simplest of bedtime stories, I mean, even the whole Deathly Hallows and being the mantle of Death is narrated in children's folklore," Hermione ranted. To her utter annoyance, the young monk only laughed out loud. _If only we were on equal footing here, I would so smack this monk on the head,_ she thought. Avatar Aang was more exasperating than a cheeky young Harry.

"Alright, sorry about that," Aang merely grinned at her after his laughter died out.

"Well?" She crossed her arms.

"The Avatar as I said is a powerful person. He or she can control the four elements. Fire. Air. Water. Earth. Long ago, nobody knew about magic. Instead, it was called bending. Bending is the special ability to command a specific element to do your bidding. No wands and tools are needed to focus on one's bending. You only need to perform movements; each element requires a certain style. Anyway, no matter how hard you try, no singular person could ever master all four elements except for the Avatar. The Avatar is the only person who is the bridge between the mortal world and the spirit world. Because of that, he is expected to bring balance through the use of his gifts of the four elements and to bring peace into the world," Aang explained.

"Alright, now I know what an Avatar is. But on to my second question, you mentioned this being the origin of magic, elemental bending as you called it. Could you expound on that?"

"In the olden times, when the world you knew and lived in bore no resemblance to what it once was; when there were no countries and much divide, there were two spirits – one good and the other evil. During a Harmonic Convergence, a supernatural phenomenon that occurs once every ten thousand years, the planets align and spiritual energy is greatly amplified. When that happens, the spirit portals of the north and south poles join together while an aura of spiritual energy encompasses the Earth. During this rare circumstance, Raava, the spirit of peace and light, battles with Vaatu, the spirit of darkness and chaos… Is everything understandable so far?" Aang confirmed.

"Yes, everything seems clear so far. Please continue," she nodded.

"So, that's the history of the battle among the spirits, right? Anyway, these oldest of spirits, Vaatu and Raava, combat each other for their entire existence. Given they have existed for ten thousand lifetimes before the first humans appeared, that's a rather long-standing feud, eh?" Aang joked and Hermione sighed in exasperation.

"Tough crowd," Aang snorted and she chuckled a bit.

"Alright, the origin of the spirits is explained really well… But, how did the Avatar come to be?"

"We're getting there, dear one. Learn to be patient, will you?" Aang huffed and this time around, she laughed out loud.

"Sorry, sorry," she chuckled.

"Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes! So, it's a cycle. A battle between good and evil blah blah blah, you're smart you could read between the lines… Right, so, during another harmonic convergence, Raava permanently merged her essence with Wan, a mortal. This merging between spirit and man created the first Avatar. Of course, there were a lot of things that happened in between, stuff you don't need to know right now but once you enter into an Avatar State, it would be made clear… Hmmm… What else should I tell you – " since Aang was all over the place, she cleared her throat.

"So… Any questions?" Aang gave her an expectant look.

"You seem to have lived long before the world I knew came to be… So, how did the legend of the Avatar stay hidden? Also, if you say the Avatar could bend the elements, without a wand at that, then why can't I do it?" Hermione Granger in her lifetime was remarkably brilliant but this entire story seemed farfetched. She was a powerful witch, yes. But she was no Harry Potter, let alone Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard she had ever met.

"As human beings started to be more and more civilized from the way it once was – with only four nations, the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation – things started to change and bending evolved into what you now call magic. What once, was an ancient spiritual art of elemental telekinesis, bending was forgotten in the pursuit of wand magic or ritual magic in some cultures. You see, bending is hard to master. It takes many years to master a single element. Humans being inherently lazy, the practice became forgotten and buried in scrolls that no one bothers to read anymore," Aang sighed.

"I am still confused. If you say that magic started as elemental bending, then why is it that magicals who use wands can make fire and water for example?" Hermione frowned. She could see the valid points in Aang's explanations but there were loopholes.

"Alright… What are the core courses you learned at Hogwarts?" Aang gave her a challenging look.

"Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, and Herbology. Oh, and there are flying lessons that are only compulsory in the first year. You can drop it in the second year," she immediately answered.

"Let's dissect that shall we. Transfiguration, it's the art of changing something into something else right? Well, don't you see its relationship to the Earth and Water?" Aang prodded and she was silent for a few seconds before she nodded pensively.

And then, Aang showed her what he meant. Aang closed his eyes, kicked the ground and raised his hands. She didn't notice that instead of hovering in-between what looked like heaven and hell, they were now located on a large floating rock. So, she only watched in amazement as the rock levitated at Aang's command before it formed into a ball and then changed shape. Aang carefully dropped the rock which now had his likeness molded on one side.

"Amazing!" She muttered.

"Right? Now watch this!" Aang made a slashing movement with his right hand and then, he circled his hand twice before thrusting it forward and a wall of flowing water rose from the large puddle of water that surrounded their hovering rock. To her surprise, he once again manipulated the water as it formed a new figure that then hardened into an ice sculpture in her image and likeness. He levitated the ice sculpture beside his own.

"Okay. Now I see your point," she remarked.

"Haven't you noticed that each magical person has a distinct special affinity? For example, your friend Seamus Finnigan – "

"He sets things on fire!" She exclaimed.

"And Neville Longbottom – "

"Oh my! Yes! Neville loves plants so his element is Earth," she supplied.

"Of course, there's your Harry – "

"He's not my Harry," she glared at Aang before she continued, "and yes, it's obvious his element is air."

"See? All magicals have one particular affinity. Bending may have evolved through time, as it should. The non-magicals have already visited the moon for crying out loud, something that Yue and Tui, the moon spirits find very ironically amusing," Aang said smugly.

"Hmmm… I guess you're right. Now, I see it… But, while I appreciate the explanation, with the history of magic and all that, why am I the Avatar? I have never shown an affinity for an element. Let alone ALL the elements! Especially flying," she said pensively.

"Think Hermione… As a little girl, when did you start noticing that you were different, or shall I say, special? When did you notice that you were not the same as your non-magical peers?" Aang challenged.

"Well, my mum said that I levitated my books… My bushy hair also rippled with energy, with some sort of non-existent wind when my emotions went haywire as a child… My dad said I set my vegetables on fire when I didn't like to eat them… I do love bluebell flames, so that could be the fire bending talent… Oh! And I do remember that when I only wished it, the pebbles in our garden changed forms into whatever I wanted them to be," she recalled with her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she tried to think of memories that could somehow prove or disprove her elemental gifts.

"See? Don't you see a pattern now?" Aang grinned.

"Yes, I see it now. You are right once again… But – but what happened to me?" She frowned as she looked at the now smiling monk.

"Now this is the part that I'm worried about, to be honest," Aang said sheepishly.

"Why?" She was curious. She desperately wanted to know what happened to her. She needed to understand why her life ended so abruptly and why she felt so hollow. It was like her entire life just passed by in an empty blur and suddenly, boom! She was dead. Somehow, she knew that an Avatar should have fulfilled long happy lives and great destinies but she felt that her fifty years on Earth was incomplete.

"When you entered Hogwarts, that's when everything went downhill for you," Aang said gently.

"What?!" She exclaimed. _No! It can't be! That's impossible! Dumbledore would never – No! Hogwarts was the best time of my life! It just can't be!_

She was panicking now. A million thoughts were running through her head and her emotions were all over the place. She was so confused, angry, frustrated, perplexed, bothered, and many other overwhelming emotions. Because of this, she didn't even notice that tears were falling down her face.

The twelve-year-old spirit form of Avatar Aang could only watch with a glint of sadness and pride in his eyes, as he witnessed Avatar Hermione, who was presumed to be the cleverest Avatar amongst all the incarnations, in her first encounter of the Avatar State.

As Hermione Granger's eyes glowed with a bright white light, her long curly hair being blown by strong winds, she was surrounded by a ball of rocks, flames, water, and air. And then, her spirit met with the other incarnations of herself in a metaphysical headspace.

oOOOOo

Hermione Granger gasped as she stood in front of a seemingly unending row of men and women of different races, all of them were wearing clothes from various time periods. All of them had nothing in common except maybe for the welcoming smiles on their faces. Deep inside her heart, she knew these people. She knew each one of them. She was each one of them at various points of her incarnations.

"Hello!" She greeted in a mix of cheerfulness and awkwardness.

"Avatar Hermione," chorused all the incarnations in front of her. She saw a monk, who resembled Aang and she just had to ask, "A – Aang?"

"Ah, yes. It is I, Avatar Aang. This is what I looked like when I passed on… The younger version of me that met you in the in-between, all the Avatars decided that it was best to see me in my youth," the older version of Aang explained.

"What happened to me?"

"This is the Avatar State. It is a defense mechanism designed to empower you with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars. The glow is the combination of all your past lives, focusing their energy through your body. You must always remember, young Hermione Granger, that while in the Avatar State, you are at your most powerful. But, more importantly, you are also at your most vulnerable," all the avatars said in a unified voice that sent chills down her spine.

"But – why tell me this now? Aren't I dead?" There was sadness in her voice as the harsh reality of what had happened to her was summarized in that question. Despite all this amazing power, along with the honor of being responsible for keeping the balance of good and evil on Earth, it was too late for her since she had already died. _I must be the lamest Avatar in the history of all Avatars,_ she thought bitterly.

"Your life was manipulated with deceit and lies. Your life was not your own. The spirit of Raava within you was constrained. You, Hermione Granger, deserve a second chance," this was said in a strong chorus once more.

"But – but that's impossible!" She exclaimed.

"Close your eyes. Clear your mind. Open your heart. Let us show you just how special Hermione Granger could truly be," with that determined promise, all incarnations of the Avatar Spirit shared their memories to their most recent and most oppressed version, Hermione Jean Granger…

oOOOOo

Harry Potter apparated to the Forest of Dean, just like always ever since his best friend, Hermione Granger–Weasley, had mysteriously died in her office at the ministry three weeks ago. Ever since he learned of her death, it was like there was a dagger plunged through his heart. He did not understand why, but it just seemed like the world was now a much darker and colder place ever since Hermione's untimely passing.

His wife, Ginny, obviously noticed how affected he was ever since the news of Hermione's death spread throughout Britain. During her burial, all the Potter and Weasley clan, along with the many people and magical creatures who loved the fallen Minister, mourned Hermione's death. What angered him though was the fact that Ron, Hermione's husband, hardly seemed to care that his wife had died. Since Ron was being his usual irresponsible self, he was the one who arranged all the details of Hermione's resting place. He decided on the Forest of Dean because it was a special place where Hermione's muggle and magical heritage merged. It was there where she spent precious time with her parents as a little girl when she had no clue that magic existed. More importantly, it was there that she struggled with him to fight against the darkness. He could see no other location that would have been her perfect place of eternal rest.

As he read the engraved words on the tombstone, he wiped his tears away.

_Hermione Jean Granger–Weasley_

_September 19, 1979 – October 31, 2029_

_Wife. Mother. Minister. Friend._

_Brightest Witch of the Age_

_Ad Astra Per Aspera_

Using his fingers to trace the Latin phrase on her tombstone, he sighed sadly. _Through adversity to the stars,_ it perfectly encompassed Hermione's short life indeed. Hermione lived a life that was filled with adversity and trials but she overcame all of them. She was underestimated as a muggleborn but she proved all the bigots wrong. Hermione Granger died with the legacy of being the most beloved Minister in Magical Britain. She had conquered all her trials and reached for the stars. It was truly an honor to have met her, someone who was larger than life.

Thinking about his precious memories of Hermione, he remembered with bitterness in his heart, the time when he first learned the devastating news of her death.

Hermione's death was the saddest day of his life. It was a fact that he was certain of despite not understanding why.

As he carefully placed the Christmas Roses he purchased from a muggle flower shop just a few blocks away from the Leaky Cauldron, he squatted in front of Hermione's tombstone with tears in his eyes.

The memory of Hermione's death remained so vivid that by simply closing his eyes, he could still see her cold and lifeless body sitting behind the desk of the British Minister for Magic…

oOOOOo

_Harry Potter was busy talking to Susan Finch-Fletchley, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Draco Malfoy, one of the senior members of the Wizengamot. They were discussing the various angles about the burgeoning trouble up north. It seemed that there were signs of looming darkness in the British Wizarding Community once again._

_They had no leads yet but there had been sightings of dark magic supposedly practiced by a coven that had been performing sacrificial rituals all over the British Isles. Not only that, the goblins had informed them about the mysterious kidnappings of members of their nation with only the ears being sent back to Gringotts. Chief Ragnok, the leader of the Goblin Nation, had already issued a warning that should the ministry show a lack of effort in solving this problem, then they would be forced to break the peace treaty between the Goblin Nation and the Ministry. After that, the goblins would unleash bloodlust all over Magical Britain. Not only that, whatever gold stored in Gringotts owned by wizards, would be confiscated by the goblin bankers._

_Suddenly, a duck Patronus hovered above them, breaking their focus on the meeting._

" _Madam Finch-Fletchley, Minister Hermione is presumed to be dead in her office. Send forth the aurors. Now!" The frantic voice of whom he could faintly recognize as belonging to Coleen Creevey, Hermione's very efficient secretary, reverberated all around the DMLE Head's Private Office._

" _Hermione!" Harry exclaimed in despair. He did not even bother to wait for the orders of his immediate superior, Susan. He ran as fast as he possibly could to the Office of the Minister for Magic with a lot of things running through his head. He was panicking, angry, devastated, and some other myriad of horrible feelings that he could not begin to describe._

_Despite all the thoughts running through his head, he made one solemn promise. If this was an assassination of his best friend, he would do whatever was necessary to make them pay. No one hurt Hermione Granger without facing the wrath of Harry Potter. Even if it was the last thing he would ever do in his life, he would avenge her death. It was the very least he could do for the one person who had stuck by him in all the ordeals he had faced in his youth._

_His friendship with Hermione may no longer be as close as it once was, something that he sorely missed as the years went by, but she would always be one of the most important people in his life. So, he would get to the bottom of this!_

_There was a crowd gathered in front of Hermione's office and he didn't even bother to be polite as he shoved them aside. He needed to get to her. He must make sure if the news of her death was indeed true._

_Upon entering her office, Harry saw that Hermione was surrounded by a trio of healers with their wands going round and round in circles as they murmured diagnostic spells all over her. Pushing one away, he knelt on the carpeted floor of the minister's office._

_Hermione was sitting there. Her face was plonked on the thick pile of auror reports he drafted three days ago. She looked so cold and pale. She was lifeless. Her hair that seemed to radiate with her magic now just looked so dull._

_It was true. Hermione Granger was indeed dead!_

" _Hermione! Please! Wake up!" He screamed in anguish and the healers gave him a forlorn look._

" _I am sorry, Mr. Potter. We have to take Minister Granger–Weasley to St. Mungo's so we can prepare her body for burial," one of the healers comfortingly squeezed his shoulder._

" _Did – did something – or someone – kill her – wha – what happened?" He stammered in between pained sobs. He did not know why but it seemed like his heart was being ripped right out of his chest. He remembered feeling like this when Sirius passed through the Veil of Death during his fifth year at Hogwarts. This cold empty feeling also reminded him of his utter desperation and lack of will to fight when Hermione got hit with that dark spell from that bastard Dolohov. This time, however, there was no Neville to tell him that Hermione still had a pulse._

_This time around she was truly gone. His best friend was dead._

_And the cold bitter truth, he could not do anything about it._

" _Mr. Potter, we do not wish to break patient confidentiality but the Minister had been diagnosed with some obscure illness that was sadly incurable. There was nothing we could do for her, except to try and prolong her life with some potions. The Minister died this afternoon due to the toll of her failing health. I am so sorry for your loss," that was the last statement uttered by the healer but it merely passed through his ears._

_It just seemed so impossible that Hermione could die at such a young age._

_As he watched Hermione's dead body being carefully levitated into a conjured stretcher, he wiped away angry tears._

_No! He did not believe it! There's just something fishy about her untimely death. He would get to the bottom of this!_

oOOOOo

"I'm so sorry, Hermione… I – I'm still not able to find a lead on whoever killed you… I refuse to believe that you just died due to natural causes… You lived the healthiest lifestyle amongst all of us… No! There's just – Ahhhh!" His sobs of grief ended in a scream of pain as he felt a sharp object being plunged deep into his back.

Trying to fight back, even if it was a Herculean effort, he turned around to face his attacker. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the familiar chocolate brown eyes that reminded him of his best friend. _Rose._

"I knew that you were in love with my mother, Uncle Harry," the way Rose said his name with so much hatred and contempt made him gobsmacked. He was not even able to retaliate to the attack because aside from the pain in his back, he just could not bear to hurt the person who bore so much resemblance to his best friend. Besides, he was still so stunned that Rose, whom he used to babysit when she was just a little girl, could ever do this to him.

" _Expelliarmus!"_ When his phoenix feather wand flew from his back pocket and into his attacker's hand, he sighed in defeat.

"I cannot believe that the stupid Dark Lord Voldemort was unable to kill you many years ago, Uncle Harry… You are weak!" Rose ended her statement with a sinister laugh that reminded him of the deranged Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Wh – Why did – you do this – Ro – Rosie? He struggled to speak since the pain in his back was so intense. He was certain that he would be dying at any moment now. He had been stabbed a few times in his many years as an auror so he was familiar with the pain. But the pain he was in right now, it could only mean that this dagger or whatever was used to stab him, had been laced with poison.

"I need you out of the way so I can begin my plan," Rose said nonchalantly as she tucked his wand beneath her robes.

"Your mum – would be – so – disa – disappointed – in you," he barely managed a broken whisper as his body slowly fell to the ground.

As his eyes started to close, signaling that he was indeed at the brink of death, Rose leaned in to whisper into his ear, "I killed mum, Uncle Harry."

That haunting sentence was the last thing Harry Potter ever heard as he succumbed to the afterlife with his dead body laid beside his best friend's tombstone.

oOOOOo

Harry Potter opened his eyes ready to strangle Rose for what she did to her very own mother but to his surprise, he was now in some sort of opulent castle. _Fuck! I must be dead,_ he thought angrily as his eyes roamed all over wherever this place was. _At least it's not King's Cross all over again,_ he mused as he slowly stood up from the couch.

There was a rumbling sound that reminded him of thunder and a blinding light that was trying to escape from a large door decorated with gold patterns. He did not understand why, but instead of feeling frightened by the sound and the extremely bright flashes of light, this strange combination made him feel safe and secure.

So, deciding to be a Gryffindor through and through, he walked towards that direction. As he entered the door, he screamed in fright.

A woman who reminded him of Hermione, with the same long curly brown hair, and her petite frame, was levitating inside the room he just entered. What made the sight utterly horrifying was the fact that he was standing in what seemed like an abyss, with hell below him and heaven up above.

Aside from the polar opposites, he was caught standing in, the woman was surrounded by a ball of strong winds that reminded him of a tornado. The ball she was floating right at the heart of it, was surrounded by an outline of hard rocks, scorching flames, and a powerful wave of water with its pressure emitting its own force field of energy.

He was about to leave the room when something or rather, someone tugged on his wrist. He expected something equally scary or at the very least, intimidating, but to his surprise, it was just a hand from a boy. A boy who was dressed as a monk, with his bald head, and the simple style of his clothes. This boy had tattoos in the shape of arrows on his head, and then on his arms and legs. The hand around his wrist, despite the apparent youth in the boy's face, was firm and strong. This boy was someone you should not mess with. _Maybe some form of an angel, or a guard to the afterlife,_ he thought as he eyed the boy from head to toe. _And here I thought angels have halos, wings, harps, and white linen robes,_ he mentally chuckled at his silly musings.

"Harry Potter, isn't it?" The boy gave him a penetrating stare that oddly enough, reminded him of Hermione when she was trying to assess if he was downplaying his hurt or whether he was up to something dangerous.

"Er, yes," he managed to say without his voice cracking.

"Avatar Hermione will be joining us soon. She's just undergoing advanced training. She _does_ have a lot to catch up on. I mean seriously! She was manipulated into forgetting her elemental bending for around four decades," he could hear the exasperation in the boy's tone.

"Er, right… So, you know me… But what should I call you, er, sir?" He said awkwardly. To his annoyance, the boy ended up cradling his stomach as he laughed and laughed like there was no tomorrow. _Dead people must either be always happy or always in pain._

"Sorry, sorry. It's just, you and Avatar Hermione had the same sentiments about calling me 'sir'… Goodness! You two are so perfect for each other but you both are too stupid to see it," the boy finally stopped laughing so he managed to say that.

"Well?" He prodded as he crossed his arms. He ignored the comment about him and Hermione being perfect for each other.

"Tough crowd you Brits are," the boy huffed before smiling at him once again. "Hi, my name is Aang. I'm an Avatar, just like Hermione. You could think of me as one of her incarnations," the boy held out a hand for him to shake. He gladly accepted the outstretched hand since the boy seemed harmless and was obviously very friendly. Besides, something about the boy reminded him of his best friend.

"So, what's an Avatar?" He asked as he towered in front of the boy. He wanted to be polite so he crouched down a little just so they could see eye-to-eye. The boy noticed what he was doing and only shrugged at his poor attempt to lessen their height difference. With a mischievous glint in his dark brown eyes, the boy performed a series of flexing movements with his legs, hands, and torso that reminded him of Karate or some other martial art, and then, rocks started growing from somewhere and it formed into a chair and a low table. When Aang pointed to one of the conjured rock chairs, he sat on the one at the right with his jaw still hanging. He had never seen wandless magic performed to such perfection. And, elemental magic at that!

_I should watch my back and not underestimate this kid. Look at what happened with Rose and me,_ he mused as he waited for Aang to speak again.

"You don't like long explanations, do you?" Aang broke the silence as he took the other chair.

"That's right," he nodded.

"Okay… so Hermione over there, the girl you were supposed to marry, by the way, is the current incarnation of the Avatar. Now before you get all huffy in denial, shut up. Let me speak… Good! Okay, so the Avatar is a guardian of sorts. The bridge to the mortal and the spirit world. Only he or she can master all four elements… And before you get worried about her, Hermione is fine. She's just in the Avatar State, her most powerful and most vulnerable form. Any questions?"

"Er – no," he muttered. _I think it's best if I just ask Hermione for the details later._

"Good! Now we'll just wait a few minutes and Avatar Hermione should be ready to join us."

Harry tried his best to not shift in his seat as Aang looked at him like he was assessing his worth or something along those lines. It made him feel uneasy but he was determined to see this through. Besides, this boy was still a semblance of his best friend, no matter how bizarre a concept reincarnation was.

"So… you just died, right?" Aang broke the silence.

"Yeah, I guess so… Got stabbed in the back, literally and figuratively," he said with bitterness and anger.

"That sucks, eh? Truth be told though; I was expecting you here much later… So much for being the Master of Death," Aang teased and he frowned at that.

"Hey!"

"What? Just saying," Aang shrugged.

"It's not like being the Master of Death means anything," he defended himself. It was one thing to be stabbed by Rosie, a niece he once cared for when she was just a child. And then there's this _boy,_ adding more salt to a fresh wound, not to mention his bruised ego at getting beaten by a petite young lady.

"Well, did you even try to explore what it means? To be the Master of Death?" Aang challenged.

"How could I bloody do that? I haven't even seen the resurrection stone and the Elder Wand for more than thirty years," he reined in his temper but Aang was testing his patience. It reminded him of Hermione when she was pushing his buttons just so he could let his thoughts and emotions out when he needed to release them.

"Merlin! You are so – argh! It's like talking to a version of Hermione in the shape of a cheeky annoying boy!" He crossed his arms in exasperation and Aang laughed.

"I can't believe Avatar Hermione did not advise you to look for the other Hallows," Aang chuckled.

"Well, I don't need them. That level of power is dangerous," he huffed.

"Sure, sure…" This was said placatingly as if he was a little boy in the middle of a temper tantrum.

"I'll have you know that Hermione and I defeated – "

"The manipulations you both had to suffer, especially on Avatar Hermione's bending is just so tragic," Aang muttered to himself.

Before he could say anything else, he heard a feminine voice that he thought he would never get to hear again, "Harry? What are you doing here?" He turned to the beautiful sound and indeed, Hermione was there... standing just a few feet away from him.

"Hermione? You're here!" He hurriedly got out of his seat and ran towards her. Since the last memory he had of Hermione was her cold lifeless body sitting behind her desk, he wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace.

"I missed you so, Hermione," he whispered in earnest. He felt Hermione stiffen for a bit before she relaxed into his embrace. He felt Hermione tap his back in reassurance and he felt at peace. He felt warm, content, and at ease. Hugging Hermione always felt like coming home.

When they heard Aang clearing his throat, they reluctantly pulled apart. He could feel his cheeks heating up and he internally smiled upon seeing the same reddish tinge on Hermione.

"So, Avatar Hermione, I reckon your long journey into your inner spirit through the Avatar State answered all of your questions?" Aang grinned at the refreshed and invigorated Hermione.

Now that Harry could get a better look at his best friend, he realized that she seemed so energized and blissful. He could even feel her magic rippling against her skin. He knew that Hermione was a powerful witch in her own right, but seeing her now, he was certain that he could not recall a particular time that her magic was as potent. In fact, after many years of being an auror, he learned how to feel the presence of magical auras. He had come across various sizes of auras before, with Voldemort and Dumbledore being the most powerful, but this right here, this magic surrounding every single part of Hermione's body, it was the purest magical energy that he had ever felt. Hermione's magic felt raw, alive, and light. Her magic felt like a blessing. Something that made you happy as you come across it. He was unsure if he felt that way because he had known her for so long. But one thing was for certain, this Hermione whom he just hugged mere seconds ago, she was the most powerful magical being he had ever met.

"Oh, Aang! It was truly amazing! I can't believe – It is truly an honor. Thank you so much," Hermione closed her left hand in a fist and then she pressed her knuckles and right palm together before respectfully bowing down to Aang.

Harry watched in amazement as Aang returned the gesture. When both of them were standing upright again, they grinned at each other. It was so weird that the way they smiled was very similar.

"Avatar Hermione, I want to see what you got," Aang challenged.

"Bring it!"

"Hmmm… How about the Dancing Dragon?" Aang smirked.

"You're on," Hermione snorted.

"Excuse us for a while, Harry. I just have to show this newbie Avatar over here, how the pros do it," Aang gave him a cheeky wink and Harry nodded dumbly. Hermione and Aang were so alike that they reminded him of the relationship between brother and sister. He now understood what Aang meant about incarnation.

"On three… One… Two… Three…" With Aang's count, both Avatars performed this complex dance of various martial art poses as scorching hot flames blazed around them.

At the end of the fiery dance, Harry _almost_ yelped when Hermione and Aang roared with fire coming out of their mouths as their hands emitted the same hot flame.

When Aang and Hermione finished the Dancing Dragon, ending their display with a respectful bow to each other, he was not sure if he should applaud or find a convenient hiding spot. It was a wonderful display of magic but it was also very intimidating.

"Good job, Avatar Hermione!" Aang congratulated with a big grin.

"That – felt good," Hermione smiled brightly.

"That was hot, literally," Harry remarked absentmindedly and Hermione blushed. Aang only snorted at that.

"Thanks, Harry."

"Great! Let's move along. We don't want that Dark Lady on Earth succeeding in finding a ritual that would release the spirit of Vaatu from his confinement," Aang interrupted their little moment.

"Dark Lady! What do you mean?" Hermione immediately snapped out of the trance she seemed to be trapped in as she looked into Harry's emerald green eyes. Her focus was drawn to the looming threat of a Dark Lady. From the memories and the training she learned during her first exposure to the Avatar State, she now had a deeper understanding of the duties and responsibilities of the Avatar.

"Hermione, I don't know how to say this but – " Harry started to say but when Hermione's frown deepened, he decided to just blurt it out. "It's Rose! Rose is the Dark Lady!"

"Excuse me?!" Hermione was aghast. Harry took one step back since he was afraid that Hermione would attack him. With her newly awakened elemental powers, he didn't want to risk it.

"Hermione… It's Rose. She stabbed me… I was crying by your tombstone, visiting you every night is routine for me, you see… And then, Rose was there one night… Stabbed me in the back. The last thing she said to me, right before I died, was this… 'I killed mum, Uncle Harry.' I am so sorry, Hermione. How I wish I was just making this up, but it's the truth," Harry's voice was beseeching. He needed Hermione to understand that he was telling the truth.

"My – my – Rose – " Hermione stammered in disbelief as her tears started falling. Because of her pain, she ended up squatting on the floor, hugging her knees as she cried her heart out.

Harry wanted to comfort her but Aang grabbed his arm and shook his head to stop him. He sighed. Aang was right. Hermione needed to grieve and to let all the pain out.

Harry could not begin to fathom how much pain Hermione must be feeling right now. It was the most heartbreaking betrayal. Your own flesh and blood, your daughter for crying out loud, to be the same person to plot your demise. To make things worse, Rose killed her mother just so she could continue paving her way towards darkness.

Who would have thought that the Brightest Witch of the Age and the Best Minister for Magic Britain had ever had, would also be the mother of the newest Dark Lady who would rival Voldemort and Grindelwald's cruelty?

Hermione's life was full of contradictions indeed.

Harry gasped when Hermione started glowing all over once again. The four elements started to envelop her in a ball, just like the first time he saw Hermione here in the afterlife. He wanted to touch her but Aang's grip remained firm.

"Let her grieve. This is the in-between. All of us won't get hurt… We are all safe here… Just let her release all the pain," Aang said gently. Tugging on his hand, Aang pulled him back to their rock chairs as they silently watched Avatar Hermione exhausting herself as she cried tears of pain from the knowledge that it was her beloved daughter that killed her. Worst of all, her supposed legacy to the world, was a conspirator of darkness and not of the light. Rose Granger–Weasley was the complete opposite of her mother who had risked her life so many times just to fight for all that's good.

Harry's heart was breaking as he silently cried on his seat while watching Hermione attempt to let loose all the pain. He wanted to do more for her, but he knew he could not. So, he quietly sat there and just shared his best friend's pain as his tears kept on falling and falling…

oOOOOo

When Hermione finally calmed down, and the glow dissipated, she was exhausted but she looked determined. There was a certain hardness in her eyes that told Harry she was ready to talk. Hermione was ready to face the problem head-on. Just like she had always done when faced with adversity.

"Aang?" Hermione turned to the young monk.

"Are you alright, Avatar Hermione?"

"Yes… I – I'm much better now. Thank you," Hermione nodded.

"Do you have any questions? Either of you?" Aang looked at them. Harry shook his head. After watching Hermione cry for what seemed like hours, he couldn't think of anything else. Her sobs of pain reminded him of her screams of torture at Malfoy Manor, but somehow, he knew that she was in much deeper pain right now.

"I only have one, Aang," Hermione said in a cold voice.

"Go ahead, Avatar Hermione."

"Why is my dau – why is that bitch – why did she turn out like that?" Harry could tell that it was so difficult for Hermione to ask this particular question. It was most likely tearing her up inside.

"Rose Granger–Weasley is like Tom Marvolo Riddle, the enemy you all know as Voldemort," Aang said.

"What do you mean?" Harry was confused.

"I see… Rose, like Voldemort, is a product of love potions, isn't she?" Hermione said in a voice that was barely a whisper. Harry gasped at her insinuation. _No! It can't be! It's impossible!_

"Yes, Avatar Hermione. Your daughter was conceived due to a love potion. That among other manipulations," Aang's voice was grave.

"No…" Harry gasped.

"It's Ron, isn't it? He used a potion on me?" Hermione's voice reminded him of the scared little girl who refused to come out of the cubicle in their first year during that night when the mountain troll was unleashed by Quirrell.

"Yes, that's right."

"Tell me, Aang… What must I do to fix this mistake? I won't let Rose win! As the Avatar, I must do something," Hermione's voice was filled with determination that it sent chills down Harry's spine. He _almost_ pitied Rose – and Ron for that matter – when Hermione got a hold of them.

"You must go back in time, Avatar Hermione… That is the only way."

"I see…"

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"I'll go with you… I won't let you do this alone," Harry promised with the same determination Hermione had displayed.

"Now, before you two argue about whether or not you go back in time together, come with me… I will show you a glimpse of what darkness Rose Granger–Weasley is really capable of doing… And then, after that, we make plans. Together, you must change the course of destiny," Aang took hold of each of their hands and dragged them off to another room inside this crazy wormhole that he only named the in-between.

Wherever Aang was taking them, Harry didn't care. He was determined to do whatever was necessary just so he could help Hermione. Hopefully, this time around, he could finally return the favor he owed her. Whether she liked it or not, she needed him to stay by her side as she faced the greatest challenge of her life.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits: 
> 
> I would like to thank my supportive readers turned betas (Genevieve and Manwe Iluvatarian). Thank you, Genevieve, for being tolerant enough to read the rough drafts and for checking characterization, pacing, and the emotions displayed in each chapter. To Manwe Iluvatarian, thank you for helping me by checking if the merging of the Avatar Universe into the Harry Potter story was done seamlessly. 
> 
> To StruggleMuggle, you’ve been my beta-reader for my fic fest entries (one-shots, short stories, and then this one). I can’t thank you enough for your support, for pointing out plot holes, spelling and grammar mistakes, and for giving me tips on how to improve my tenses (my main struggle). 
> 
> To Emmaasher, my final proofreader, thank you so much for accepting my call for help. I truly need one more eye to make sure that there isn’t anything else that’s missed out, so thank you. It’s the first time we’ve worked together so I’m grateful that you’ve offered your help with this fest. 
> 
> To the organizers of Quantum Bang, thank you for the fest. I'm truly sorry for pulling out. If you guys enjoy fix-it fics, then checkout the Quantum Bang website.


	2. In Unity, Change Can Begin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to God Save The Children.  
> Hi! How are ya? 
> 
> Since it's a leap year, I reckon it's a good idea to post chapter two. 
> 
> ENJOY.

**In Unity, Change Can Begin**

Hermione Granger was slack-jawed as Aang led them to another intricately decorated door. The sight that greeted them made her so happy because the room was filled with endless rows of books and scrolls organized in ornate bookshelves. Hermione glanced at Harry when she heard him chuckling. Throwing him a stern glare, Harry immediately stopped as he muttered, "Sorry, can't help it."

Once they reached the center of this very large and beautifully designed library, Aang sat behind an oak desk that resembled the one in the Office of the Minister for Magic. Seeing two comfortable armchairs across Aang's seat, Harry and Hermione immediately occupied each one as they prepared to be overwhelmed with whatever dark secrets Aang would be telling them.

As a legendary bookworm, Hermione could not help but ogle at the books surrounding them. Clearing his throat, Aang gave her an exasperated look.

"Sorry," Hermione muttered as her cheeks flushed.

"You do know that all this is just an illusion, right? I know how much you love libraries and all that," Aang grinned.

"Oh."

"You do know that she won't remember much of this conversation with her eyes roaming all over the library, right? You should've gone with something Hermione-neutral… Like a restaurant for example," Harry smirked and Hermione tried to kick him but his auror reflexes easily dodged her attempt.

"Now you're acting like Toph and Sokka… Well, I suppose you still subconsciously fancy each other since Toph likes Sokka and she kept annoying him," Aang muttered to himself. The young monk didn't notice the faint flushing of Harry and Hermione's cheeks.

Wanting to avoid awkward talk of her fancying Harry and vice versa, Hermione propelled the conversation forward by clearing her throat. Aang's faraway look was broken at the sound and he turned to face them once again.

"So… What would you like to know first? Rose Granger–Weasley's actions after your deaths or the manipulations you both endured, especially you, Avatar Hermione," Aang's voice was serious now, all trace of his playful mood gone.

"I think… I prefer to know what Rose would end up doing. I know it's in the future but – "

"Oh, no! Rose is destroying the world one heinous act at a time as we speak," Aang interrupted Hermione before realization dawned on her.

"Of course! The concept of time and space is irrelevant in the afterlife!" Hermione exclaimed and Aang nodded solemnly.

"Er, Harry?" Hermione turned to Harry with a reluctant voice.

"Yes, Hermione?" Harry looked into her eyes and he could tell that something was bothering her.

"Would you mind if I see Rose's actions, or hear about them by myself? You know I trust you, you of all people should know that… It's just, I feel like I should know about this alone, you know… She's my daughter and my mistake – I, please Harry – I hope you – "

"I understand, Hermione… I know how hard this must be for you. And I respect your choice… You know I'm always right here; I'll support you no matter what, okay?" Harry leaned in so he could hold her hand. Giving her hand a comforting squeeze, Hermione gave him a small smile to convey her gratitude.

"Thank you, Harry."

"Right! So, since Avatar Hermione over here will be watching Rose's actions… How about you entertain yourself, eh, Harry?" Aang remarked and Harry turned to him with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"You could talk to someone… Maybe the Peverell Brothers? Or your parents and their friends," Aang wiggled his eyebrows mischievously.

"Wha – Is that even possible?" Harry was gobsmacked but deep inside he was bouncing with excitement.

"You're dead remember?" Aang snorted and Hermione chuckled.

"Oh, so it's the Avatars versus the Master of Death now, is it?" Harry said grumpily and the two Avatars just laughed at him.

"Avatar Hermione, let me escort Harry to a separate room where he can meet his family… I'll be right back," Aang stood up from his seat and Harry followed his lead.

They walked along aisles and aisles of shelves all filled up to the hilt with books and scrolls of various sizes. Suddenly, Aang stopped in front of another door. _Just how many mystery doors are in this place,_ Harry thought with amusement.

"Here we are…" Aang turned the doorknob for him.

"How do I call them?" Harry's voice was filled with anxiety, excitement, and uncertainty.

"You can think of the names of the people you want to see… It's up to them if they will heed your call… There is only one caveat, should the person you want to see belong to eternal damnation, if you know what I mean, then they could not answer you," Aang informed him and he could only nod in reply.

"Should I just go inside?"

"Yes. Off you go, Harry Potter… Good luck!"

"Aang?"

"Hmmm?"

"Will Hermione be alright?"

"She will be… I just have to show her the looming darkness of Rose. Once you're done talking here, just think of Hermione and you'll find yourself in the library once again," Aang gave him a parting smile before he walked away.

Taking a deep calming breath, Harry Potter entered the mysterious room.

oOOOOo

Harry's jaw dropped as he walked into the room. What had seemed empty and dark when the young monk opened the door for him, was a stark contrast to everything that was now inside. The room was just so amazing because he now found himself standing in front of a Quidditch Stadium. It's a place he always felt relaxed due to his fond association with it to his hobby – flying.

Flying had been his escape from reality in his youth. Quidditch provided an excellent excuse to indulge himself in the activity. Besides, while up in the air on a broom, he always felt free, something that was rarely accorded to him.

As his eyes roamed around the Quidditch Stadium, with the lush green grass on the ground, the bright blue sky above him, the golden hoops for both competing teams, and the wooden stands, he wished that he could fly around for a bit. Just like how the Room of Requirement would anticipate a person's needs, a replica of his first Firebolt appeared on the ground.

Remembering who gave the broom to him, Aang's words about getting the chance to talk to his parents and loved ones lingered on his mind. _Right! I'm here to do something important and not lounge about flying,_ he chastised himself.

Closing his eyes, with his heart pounding wildly in his chest, he thought about his parents, Sirius, Remus, and Tonks…

"Oh, Harry! You look so old," the voice that he knew was his godfather’s reverberated around the stadium. Turning in that direction, Harry had tears in his eyes.

Sirius Black, James Potter, and Remus Lupin were standing there, hand-in-hand, all of them looking young, vibrant, happy, and very handsome. Remus no longer had that scar on his face, Sirius' eyes were now free of the ever-present haunted look due to his experience in Azkaban, and his father just reverberated with life and energy. James Potter looked just like him indeed except for the eyes!

"I – I can't believe you're all here – " his emotional tirade was halted when Sirius yelped and the rest of the Marauders laughed at him.

"Ow!" Sirius patted his head that was recently smacked by a beautiful redhead just behind the trio of Marauders. Harry grinned despite the tears in his eyes as he recognized his mother, Lily.

"Way to announce your presence in front of your godson," Lily huffed.

"Way to go, Lil," a pink-haired woman cheered beside his mum. Harry knew who it was, Tonks.

"I can't believe I get to see you again," Harry whispered as he wiped the tears away.

"Why aren't you young again, pup? You're supposed to be at your best self when you're sent to heaven… Surely _that_ isn't your best self," Sirius looked him up and down.

"You're so stupid, Padfoot… Prongslet over here isn't really dead… He's getting another chance," James said with a snort.

"Excuse the children, darling… How are you, Harry," Lily Potter lovingly cradled her son's cheeks.

"I – I miss you, mum," Harry couldn't help it anymore so he wrapped his arms around his mother.

"We're always watching you, darling," Lily cooed into her son's ear as she comforted her now sobbing son.

"Group hug!" Sirius yelled and Harry, still wrapped around his mother's arms, was surrounded by warm embraces from his deceased loved ones.

When they all pulled apart, they stared at each other before all six of them burst into teary-eyed laughs.

"So… Since this is a Quidditch Stadium, why don't we hover on brooms and talk with our Prongslet over here?" James had an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"No! No brooms! You can fly all over the place later. We need to be serious about this discussion," Lily insisted.

"Yes, ma'am," the Marauders chorused and Harry chuckled at that.

Tonks and Lily sat on the grass and the men followed. Since all of them were giving him expectant looks, Harry cleared his throat.

"So… how is everyone?"

"We're happy in heaven, darling. It's a great place… On the other hand, all of us are so saddened at what happened to you," Lily's voice was filled with sorrow and underlying anger.

"I – I am a disappointment, aren't I?" Harry muttered as he looked at the grass. He couldn't bear to see the look of disappointment on the faces of his loved ones.

"Of course not!" They chorused.

"We're not disappointed, Prongslet… But we are bloody livid for you! All the things they did to you – I can't even! Merlin!" James' voice hardened so Lily held her husband's hand.

"What do you mean _they_?" Harry asked with confusion.

"Albus _fucking_ Dumbledore! The Weasleys! Snape! Voldemort!" James hissed.

"Wh – What? I don't understand," Harry was astounded.

"Come now, Harry! Dumbledore was manipulating you all of your life! Come to think about it, if we didn't follow his fidelius charm idea, if we took a bloody plane bound for some hidden corner of the world, we would have lived and you wouldn't have gone to the Dursleys," this time it was Lily whose anger became very apparent.

"But – but Dumbledore was like a grandfather to me! And – and the Weasleys, they're my family… Snape he – he protected me," Harry denied.

"I hate to say this pup, but if Dumbledore was indeed noble and good, then why isn't he in heaven with us?" Sirius countered.

"You mean – he – Dumbledore is down there?" Harry was gobsmacked.

"Yes! He most certainly is! Dumbledore was punished for what he did to you and most especially to Hermione Granger! She's the bloody Avatar for crying out loud… A living incarnation of the spirit of magic on Earth and Dumbledore messed with her powers through potions and spells! Hermione died not even knowing that she's the bloody Avatar!" James growled at that.

"What did Dumbledore do to Hermione?" Harry found himself asking that question. In as much as he wanted to know how his life got fucked up, he knew that Hermione had it worse. And Hermione is some sort of reincarnated goddess at that!

"When Avatar Hermione first learned that she was magical during McGonagall's visit, old Minnie returned to Hogwarts gushing about the most powerful witch she has ever seen. When Dumbledore learned about this, he obliviated old Minnie about her memories of the Avatar's powers and visited the Grangers. Using the whole concerned grandfather persona, he tricked the Granger parents and little Hermione that it's best if she started taking a potion that will stabilize her special gifts. What they didn't know is that the potion was meant to make her slowly forget her elemental powers… Also, he told them that it was best they kept her elemental gifts to herself, saying that it might give Hermione unwanted attention," Lily explained.

"Oh… That makes sense… But mum, dad, why would you guys know about what happened to Hermione? Shouldn't you only have access to me or something," Harry pointed out.

"Well, we have access to all the information about Hermione because aside from meeting her parents here, Hermione Granger was supposed to be our daughter-in-law! You were meant to be with her if not for the trickery of Voldemort, the loyalty potions to the Weasley family, and that conniving tart of a bitch, the ultimate fangirl, Ginny – " James wrapped an arm around Lily since the fiery redhead was very upset now.

"But – but, Hermione and I – we never – "

"Wasn't Hermione your first crush at Hogwarts?" James smirked.

"Oooh… I didn't know that little detail," Sirius leaned in like a little gossip girl.

"Is that true, Harry?" Remus teased.

"I – well, er – she is the smartest person I've ever met you know, and she was an adorable annoying little thing, wild hair bouncing with life… She fixed my glasses – and well, she was the first person whom I could remember hugging me and then she – "

"You know, cub, a simple yes would've been fine. You didn't need to tell us your awkward love sonnets for an Avatar," the Marauders and Tonks guffawed at Remus' statement.

"Please! I think it's sweet! Besides, it's not like any of you lot were cool confident cads in your time," Lily defended her son. Harry was blushing so hard that he felt like a clueless eleven-year-old who followed Hermione's bushy head all around Hogwarts once again.

Clearing his throat to hide his awkward blushing, Harry then asked, "so, how did you know Hermione's an Avatar?"

"Avatars are such a friendly lot… There are so many incarnations of them but one thing is common, if they know that a spirit is close to one of the incarnations, especially the current one, then they keep telling you stories… When you rescued Hermione from the troll, Avatar Roku, the Avatar before Aang, told us that we must be proud parents since our son saved the life of the current Avatar," Lily beamed with pride.

"Oh."

"Yeah! Everyone here's rooting for you and Hermione, but no! How could you get together? All students at Hogwarts drink their pumpkin juices laced with loyalty potions to Dumbledore… But yours and Hermione, your goblets were overdosed with loyalty potions to the old wanker, and Weasley loyalty potions were specifically added as well," James explained with his dark brown eyes darkening in fury.

"Snape must have made those potions, right?" Harry muttered.

"Damn right he did! And you bloody named a son after him and Dumbles!" Sirius hissed.

"Hey! Harry's not to blame… With the potions and Voldemort's trickery, Harry didn't stand a chance," Lily came to her son's defense once again.

"Could you explain what Voldemort's trickery means?"

"You know that whole diary thing, right?" James said and Harry nodded.

"Voldemort learned so much about you because of that tart Ginny's diary entries… She kept talking about how you must be in love with Hermione already because you are always with her… And then, while you were battling Voldemort when he tried to possess you in your fifth year, he was able to confirm that Hermione Granger is your strength… He may not understand love but Voldemort knew that she was so special to you. Because of that, Voldemort tricked your mind into seeing visions of Ginny instead… That feeling you get, all possessive and feral, especially during your sixth year wasn't love, it was Voldemort induced lust… Voldemort wanted you with Ginny since she was already tainted by him, therefore, the more you stayed with her, the weaker you were against his attack… Voldemort's darkness stayed, in the dark marks, in Ginny's possession, on your scar." James ended his explanation with a forlorn sigh.

"So… all this time, me and Ginny getting together, it was me bringing myself closer to Voldemort's darkness?" Harry hugged his knees to comfort himself.

"Yes, son. That's exactly what it was," Lily confirmed.

"So, Ginny didn't really trick me it was Voldemort's doing?" Harry was determined to think of Ginny in a good light. She was his wife after all. Besides, she gave him three children and made him happy sometimes. Also, he knew that Ginny loved him because she cared for him. She may still have her fangirl fantasies and she had always seen him as a hero, but at least she gave him what he had always wanted – a family.

"That bitch Molly wanted to give Ginny love potions to dose you with but she no longer needed to. With Voldemort messing up your head, you were already mooning over Ginny… Since Hermione is of sterner stuff, she _is_ the Avatar after all even if she didn't know it, it was her they had to dose with love potions... Three times a day to be exact," Lily told him.

"So, it means that only Hermione's children were actually born out of love potions?"

"Well yes, that's right. But yours are born out of Voldemort-induced lust… I don't know who got it worse, pup," Sirius said sympathetically and Harry cringed.

"Do the Weasleys, do they all know about this plot on Hermione and me?"

"It's just Molly, Ginny, and Ron. Fred Weasley is with us in heaven, says he's very sorry for his mum and younger siblings' behavior," Remus supplied.

"It all makes sense now… Hermione's sudden change in our sixth year. I see it now in a different light… But why would Ron want to marry Hermione? Does he love her? Given the way he hardly cared about her death, I reckon – "

"Harry, Ron's a pureblood. He's a bigot against Slytherins and the Dark Arts but he still sees himself as above the likes of you and Hermione… In pureblood culture, there's this thing about marrying the catch – " James started to explain but Sirius snorted at that.

"Yeah and it's usually a Potter who ends up with the catch of the generation," Remus added.

"I knew you lot fancied my Lily at some point," James huffed.

"Of course, we did. But we pitied you so we didn't attempt any moves on her," Sirius said pompously and Lily reached over to smack him on the head. Again.

"We're also scared of being battered husbands so we gave Lily a pass," Remus joked and Tonks punched him on the arm.

"Ow! No need to get jealous, woman," Remus pouted.

"Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," James gave Remus and Sirius a pointed look before he continued, " whoever marries the catch of the century, the most powerful or brilliant witch, they're seen as the alpha… They'll have the most magically gifted children, something purebloods all desire… Obviously, Hermione Granger is the catch of your generation, she's the bloody Avatar after all, so, Ron wanted her… Besides, Ron knows how you feel about her. So, he made it clear to you during your third year that he had some sort of claim on her."

Harry thought about what his father said and he realized that indeed, Ron did make his claim on Hermione during their third year. Ron used to babble on and on about how much fun he had with Hermione during their Hogsmeade trips. It may have been an indirect approach but because of that, he reckoned Hermione preferred Ron over him so he respected her choice. Also, when Ron and Hermione became prefects, Ron again told him how he and Hermione worked perfectly well together just like his parents. So, he never made a move on the female member of their trio. He only wanted to see his best friends happy after all. More importantly, he never wanted to get in the way of Hermione's happiness.

"Harry? Are you alright, darling?" His mother's worried voice brought him out of his reverie.

"I'm fine, mum. Just processing things," he shrugged.

"You do realize that you're still in love with Avatar Hermione though, right? No best friend, no matter how close, would mourn a friend's death the way you've been," his father said with a knowing glint in his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess you're right… Even Rose said so… It seems Voldemort's dark taint and the potions were not entirely effective," Harry muttered with a faraway look in his eyes. All the things he had seen and learned here in the afterlife was just too much to handle. His head was spinning with all the revelations and the shocking betrayal. _Oh, Hermione! I couldn't even begin to imagine how hard this must be for you,_ he sighed.

"Prongslet?"

"Yes, dad?"

"What are your plans now? After learning all of this?"

"Well I am gobsmacked, confused, angry, frustrated, and a whole lot of other mind-boggling emotions but I know Hermione must be feeling so much worse… I am sure of one thing though; I'll keep my promise to do whatever it takes to help her… She's my best friend… And I – I love her." Harry's eyes widened in surprise when he finally said the words out loud. After saying this, he realized it was true. Ever since Hermione's death, nothing was the same. Seeing her here in the afterlife, reawakened his long-suppressed feelings since he reckoned Voldemort and the potions no longer affected him here.

"Once you're back to your younger selves so you can change things for the better, I do hope you will snap Avatar Hermione up as soon as you can. That way, no one else could sweep in. Again. Besides, the Avatar needs you, Harry. Hermione's powers are amazing. We've seen what the Avatars can do when they poke fun at each other when they challenge one another in a bending tournament, it's bloody amazing and hilarious. With that power, comes a lot of responsibility and the threat of people like that bastard, Tommy, who'd covet her powers for their personal gain. So, you have to help her, protect her, support her," his father said in all seriousness.

"I promise, dad. I'll do anything for her," Harry said solemnly.

"So… Do you have more questions for us, darling?" Lily turned to her son.

"No, mum. I'm good… What about all of you? Got questions for me?"

"Harry, we want to thank you. For taking care of Teddy, for being his father-figure… For loving him," Tonks leaned into her husband as she said that.

"Of course, Tonks. We're family, it's what we do for each other."

"Enough of this mushy stuff. Let's play Quidditch!" James said cheerfully.

"Alright!" Everyone except Lily agreed. Lily Potter only rolled her eyes and muttered, "such children," as five brooms appeared on the ground.

oOOOOo

Hermione had been squatting on the carpeted floor of this amazing library for hours. She didn't have an idea of how long really. She could not do anything except to cry and think about all that she had seen in the visions shared by Aang. Every single thing she had witnessed was just so frightening and heartbreaking.

Even after all that Aang had said, about why Rose was born to be plain evil due to her inability to understand love at all, she could still not fathom as to how and why someone she loved so deeply could turn out to be so cruel.

After letting her grief and pain explode during her second bout of the Avatar State, she finally came to terms with the fact that it was Rose who plotted her death. She reckoned there must be some kind of mysterious poison Rose specifically formulated just for her. Rose Granger-Weasley was a potions, arithmancy, and ancient runes genius after all. Her work as an Unspeakable would have given Rose ample training and material to create new formulas and obscure spells. So, she understood how Rose was able to do it. She even had this theory that Rose ended her life in retaliation for her denial of her request that she be promoted to the Head of the Department of Mysteries, giving her unlimited access to all the secret information only the Chief Unspeakable was privy to. Her daughter claimed that since she was the top performer anyway, she should get the promotion when Croaker retired. While she saw the merit of Rose's argument, she knew that she was not yet ready for such a big responsibility so she was only promoted to Senior Unspeakable instead. More importantly, she knew that her presence was the biggest threat to Rose's sinister plans so that's why she was killed. All these things she had already accepted.

The things Aang had shown her though, she just could not understand why. The sight of so many magical babies being sacrificed in dark rituals just to sustain and increase Rose and her coven members' magical core was so disheartening that she threw up upon seeing it.

Rose kidnapped, maimed, and killed so many children for various nefarious purposes – dark rituals, as offering to her demon patrons, and as live targets for spell practice. Hermione thought that Bellatrix Lestrange was the evilest woman she would ever see but she was wrong. The crazy Bellatrix had nothing on Rose Granger-Weasley.

Aside from the children she sacrificed, Rose was a brilliant tactician. Something she inherited from her because Ron could not do a single plan with perfect sly cunning because he was too loud and obtuse. To start a war that she was certain she would win, Rose covertly organized her followers to kill some goblins so she could create a distraction. While the ministry and the goblins were busy fighting one another, she surprised both parties with an attack. It was too late for both warring parties to realize they were tricked by the real enemy.

Hermione no longer wanted to think about all the darkness she had seen. She was determined to set things right. She promised that this time around, Rose Granger-Weasley would never be born. She would willingly kill herself rather than conceive another Voldemort, an even more cunning and brilliant version at that.

Lost in her thoughts, she did not hear the sound of footsteps coming closer and closer.

"Gr – Granger? Is that you?" Hermione turned to the sound and gasped.

"Malfoy?! What are you doing here?!"

"Hey! Don't look at me like that. The last thing I saw was the green light of an Avada and poof, I'm dead… Some little monk said I should just walk inside and maybe I'll find something… I reckon it's a test or something… Anyway, why are you here?" Draco Malfoy blabbered as he looked around.

"Let me guess, my daughter, killed you too?" Hermione said grumpily.

"It was my son who killed me. He said that he must kill me for love since he needed to be the sole owner of the Malfoy money. I reckon it was because of your daughter," Draco said angrily.

"Malfoy?! What the hell!" Another voice joined in and they both turned to find a confused Harry Potter standing there.

"Oh, you're back, Harry," Hermione gave him a sad smile.

"What happened, Hermione? And why are you here, Malfoy?" Harry asked as he walked towards them.

"Well, all three of us have one thing in common… We're dead," Malfoy drawled sarcastically. Harry only snorted at that before focusing on Hermione once again.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" He knelt in front of her. Seeing her tearstained face, he gently cupped her cheek and used his thumb to wipe her tears away. When they heard a clearing of the throat, he reluctantly let go of her face.

"Should I go? I don't want to interrupt your little mood here," Draco smirked.

"No! Stay! We need to plan. You tell us all that you know, Malfoy," Hermione said with a determined voice as she moved to stand.

"Yes, Minister Weasley," Draco immediately replied as if he were in a Wizengamot session again.

"Don't call me by that horrid name!" Hermione growled.

"Oh. Er, sorry – Granger," Draco stammered an apology.

"Sorry, it's just that I hate that name, okay? I mean, I just found out that most of my life is one big lie," Hermione sighed. Harry squeezed her shoulder comfortingly and she acknowledged the gesture with a small smile.

"Don't tell me – no! Weasley conned you into marrying him. Love potions! Bloody hell! No wonder your daughter's like Voldemort incarnate," Draco exclaimed as the realization of Hermione's obvious anger dawned on him.

"That's right! You bloody – " Hermione's angry rants were interrupted when Aang appeared in front of them riding a ball of air with his legs moving about like he was riding a bike.

"Hey, guys! I see you're complete! Well then, let's plan," Aang moved his arms and the ball of air dissipated.

"What the hell was that?!" Draco exclaimed in awe.

"Air scooters. Avatar Aang's original air bending move," Hermione supplied in the same know-it-all voice and Harry chuckled at Draco's confused look.

"What does that mean – "

"Oh, like this," Hermione winked at Harry before she moved her arms in a big circle, turned around, and then she was hovering on top of a ball of air. The young monk only shrugged before following Hermione's lead.

"Potter – what the hell! Can you do that too?" Draco turned to Harry who only laughed in amusement while shaking his head to mean no.

"It's an Avatar thing, Malfoy. Only the most powerful ones can do that," Harry said after he stopped laughing.

"But – but – aren't you supposed to be the most powerful wizard in Britain?"

"Hmmm… Maybe. But you see, Hermione's not just a witch… She's an incarnation of the ancient magical spirit of light… I guess you can think of her as a goddess."

"Bloody hell!"

"Excellent air bending, Avatar Hermione," Aang complimented as he landed on his feet when his air scooter disappeared.

"I learned from the best," Hermione grinned.

"Alright… So, I've seen you fire bend which is your natural element so you're great at it… You've nailed air bending… Why don't you show me some water bending and earth bending moves? You've only done it in the Avatar State after all," Aang mused.

"Okay," Hermione shrugged. Moving her hands from side to side, water moved in waves to the tune of Hermione's gestures. When she pulled her left hand backward and suddenly thrust it forward as if to punch someone, the wave of water formed into an iced dagger as it pierced the wall.

"Good. Now show me some earth bending," Aang grinned.

Hermione took a deep breath, spread her legs, kicked her left foot and rocks erupted from the ground. Harry gasped when instead of the carpeted floors the first time he entered this library, the ground was now filled with grass. When Hermione pushed both of her arms forward, the rocks moved to collide on another wall.

"Excellent work, Avatar Hermione! Not bad for a newbie," Aang clapped his hands.

"Thank you," she grinned.

"Now, when you and Harry go back in time, I want you to meditate and maintain your connection to the Spirit World… Also, whatever you learned during your training in the Avatar State, you must regularly practice them… You know you're far from mastering bending but at least you now have an idea how it's done," Aang reminded her like a stern tutor.

Hermione bowed respectfully as she said, "thank you, Avatar Aang."

"Potter, what's this Avatar business? Can we be one?" Draco muttered to Harry. Before Harry could reply, Aang and Hermione turned to the two awed wizards.

"Now that we're done testing Hermione's bending, let's plan… Draco, I brought you here since you have to help Harry and Hermione when they go back in time," Aang said in a no-nonsense voice.

"Go back in time? What do you mean?" Draco frowned.

"Avatar Hermione has a destiny to fulfill but due to manipulations in her life, she wasn't able to do it. As a side effect, she ended up mothering the Dark Lady, Rose Granger-Weasley," Aang summarized.

"Oh… I see. How can I help? Do you want me to – bloody hell! I'm going back in time too?" Draco exclaimed.

"No! No! Of course not! I just need you to help them when they're back in time… In order to do that, you must tell us a secret that no one else knows. When they approach your younger self with that secret, that should give them ample time to explain and to prove to you that they're telling the truth, that way, you will help them," Aang explained.

"Alright, I will help… But Granger, could you promise me something?" Draco had a hopeful look in his eyes.

"What is it? I can't promise until I know what it is you're asking," Hermione replied.

"You're a goddess of sorts, could you – could you heal my Astoria? I don't want to lose her so early in life the second time around," Draco pleaded.

"I – I promise to try my very best, Malfoy," Hermione said in earnest.

"That's good enough for me. You're the brightest witch of the generation. If anyone can do it, then it's you," Draco acknowledged with a grateful smile.

"So… what's the secret Draco? You have to make it good. Something no one else knows," Aang prodded.

"Ah, yes… Here's the secret… I – I promised myself that I would marry Astoria Greengrass someday. I made that promise as a six-year-old," Draco blushed at that.

"Is that it? No other secrets to tell?" Harry added.

"My – father… He beats me up when he's angry or bored or – he beats me up and only the house-elves know," Draco muttered as he looked away.

"So that's why you always do your best to please him… Whatever he wants and asks you to do," Hermione mused and Draco nodded.

"I – I'm sorry to hear that, Malfoy," Harry said sincerely.

"It's in the past," Draco shrugged but everyone could tell that the memories still haunted him.

"Thank you for telling us your secrets. Maybe in the other timeline, we could be friends?" Hermione smiled at Draco which he acknowledged with a nod.

"Draco, Harry and Hermione need to plan… Let me escort you to the gates now," Aang smiled at Draco.

"Will I go – down below?" Draco looked apprehensive.

"Oh, no! If you belonged down there, as soon as you died, you would immediately go there," Aang chuckled at the look of fear in Draco's eyes.

"Oh," the relief in Draco's eyes was so apparent.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes."

"Goodbye Mal – Draco," Hermione managed a smile.

"See you in the new timeline, Malfoy," Harry waved and Draco only smirked before he followed Aang.

oOOOOo

When Aang entered the room while hovering on an air scooter, Harry and Hermione were at full attention. Both of them were ready to do whatever was necessary to change the course of destiny to save the lives of so many people. While Aang sent Draco off, they didn't speak. They just basked in the comfortable silence as they were lost in their own thoughts. Coming to a non-verbal agreement that silence was what they needed, they understood that they would talk once all their plans were in place.

"Hi, guys! Are you ready?" Aang landed on his feet with no sound at all.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Hermione sighed. Harry reached for her hand and squeezed it. Hermione looked at Harry and she smiled at him. When Harry nodded, she faced Aang again. "We're ready."

"Okay… So, here's the thing. The Avatars already talked about this, we have initial ideas so you can add more… First thing, if we send you back at a much younger age when the potions are still fresh, you would have a higher chance of avoiding the fall into the wormhole of manipulations, but when you start making changes, it would be harder for you to break free given the age constraint…So, here's the idea. You go back to that time in the tent, during the Horcrux hunt when you're alone… There, you perform a soul-binding ritual – "

"Hold it! Soul-binding ritual as in making love?!" Hermione interrupted.

"Well, yes… What else is there?" Aang huffed.

"Harry, are you alright with this?" Hermione looked at the blushing man.

"I – er, I promised I'll do anything to help you… So, yes."

"See? Harry's game. Besides, you have no other choice," Aang insisted.

"Fine. Carry on," Hermione said grumpily.

"Alright, so, after the bonding ritual, you perform a soul-transfer ritual sending yourselves back to your fourth year. Just before the selection of the champions," Aang continued.

"I see your point… That way, not much has happened. We could save Cedric, Sirius, and so many other things could be altered," Hermione remarked pensively.

"Why do we need a soul-binding ritual?" Harry inquired.

"Well, a soul-binding ritual prevents you from getting manipulated with love potions and other spells that can break your connection… The ultimate protection for Avatar Hermione," Aang explained as he looked at Hermione with a sad smile. As an older brother figure to Hermione Granger due to the incarnations, he felt so sad that she was abused for so many years in her previous lifetime.

"Let's do it, Hermione. We can't let Ron or anyone else for that matter, do _that_ to you again," Harry growled.

"But what about you, Harry? You would never be with Ginny – "

"Which is bloody brilliant if you ask me! Ginny may not have used potions on me but my attraction for her was Voldemort-induced… My feelings for her, the monster inside during our sixth year, it was Voldemort's plan to distract me… Voldemort wanted me weak since he knew about my strength – you," Harry's voice was filled with emotion as he looked into her eyes.

"But Harry what about – "

"I want to do this, Hermione. I want to protect you just like you did for me during the darkest days of my life… Let me help you, Hermione. I want to help you fulfill your destiny," Harry leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers. They closed their eyes as their fingers were intertwined and their hearts pounded in the same rhythmic pattern of long-lost lovers finally reunited. They may not have voiced their feelings but their hearts knew. Their minds may have been tricked for such a long time but their hearts never wavered despite the odds.

"I – thank you, Harry. For doing this for me," Hermione whispered.

"You fought Voldemort with me… I'll stop Rose from being born, for you," Harry joked and Hermione chuckled.

"You're my best friend, Harry Potter," opening her eyes, Hermione gave Harry a beaming smile as she got lost in his pools of endless emerald green.

"I – I love you, Hermione," Harry whispered. Hermione's eyes widened in shock, not because of his words, but more so because he was brave enough to say it to her.

"I love you too," Hermione smiled as she felt Harry kissing her forehead.

"Darn! I lost the bet to Avatar Korra," Aang's muttering broke their moment. Looking at the young monk, they saw Aang with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"What bet?" Hermione grinned.

"Korra thought you would both man up and admit your feelings here, she even predicted it would be Harry who would be confessing first… My bet was on you guys confessing during the ritual," Aang shrugged while they could only blush at that.

"So, that's what past Avatars do in their spare time eh? Gossip about the current Avatar?" Hermione huffed.

"Well, we do get bored from outperforming each other during our tournaments… Besides, you're the most interesting Avatar ever," Aang smirked.

"So… Mighty Avatar Aang, do you have more ideas and plans for us?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"No, not really… That's all we have come up with for now… I know you already have an idea about what ritual to use, other Avatars did it after all… Once you're back in your timeline, I will be meeting you in the Avatar State… The others are there for you as well," Aang smiled.

"Thank you, Aang," Hermione said sincerely.

"You're one of us, Avatar Hermione… And we Avatars, with Raava's guidance, always stick together."

"Thank you, Avatar Aang, for helping Hermione and for bringing me to her," Harry respectfully bowed to the young monk. Aang happily returned the gesture.

"Now… are you both ready to be back in the tent in your teenage bodies?" Aang smiled at them.

Looking at Harry, Hermione said in a voice filled with determination, "we're ready!"

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Aang?"

"I hope you will be happy this time around."

"Thank you."

"I only have one thing left to say before you go…"

"What is it?"

"Please be successful in your mission because – God, save the children!" With that parting statement, Harry and Hermione disappeared with a gesture of Aang's hand.

oOOOOo

Fluttering her eyes open, Hermione Granger gasped in shock as she saw the ceiling made of cloth. She was in a tent once again. Touching her face and her abdomen, she smiled. She was young again! She was back! This was her second chance.

_Harry,_ she thought with a smile. Getting out of bed, she let her eyes roam around and she noticed Harry still sleeping on the floor. Lightly poking him on the arm, she whispered, "Harry, wake up."

"Five more minutes," he muttered sleepily as he swatted her fingers.

"Voldemort's standing outside," she laced this statement with a shiver of fear.

"Wha – what!?" Harry immediately sat up and groped around for his wand. The startled and determined look on Harry's sleepy face made Hermione burst out in giggles. Turning to the sound, Harry's brow began to furrow until he noticed that Hermione was a teenager again.

"Hey, Sleepyhead," Hermione teased.

"You – you're young again!" Harry exclaimed and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Gee, Harry, way to kill a woman's self-esteem," she said dryly.

"Sorry, it's just – well, whatever happened to us in the in-between, I thought it was a bad dream, your death I mean, and then, you said Voldemort was here, so I thought we're being attacked, and wow! You're young again," Harry said sheepishly. He fumbled about to touch his face and his upper torso before his lips furrowed in a frown.

"What's wrong?" She asked with worry.

"I'm a skinny runt again," he pouted and she chuckled.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said with fondness.

"We should've gone back in time as our older selves," Harry muttered under his breath.

"Well… wouldn't you rather do a sex ritual with a teenager than an old woman?" Hermione tried to cheer him up.

"I'd rather please you and look impressive than to enjoy doing the _ritual_ with you in this skinny version of me and end up being a disappointment," his cheeks heated up at his admission.

"You're so sweet, Harry," Hermione held his hand and smiled shyly at him.

"Maybe – maybe we should talk first… Make plans before we, you know, do the ritual," Harry stammered.

"What do you want to know?" Hermione squeezed his hand in understanding. She was flustered and nervous about doing the soul-binding ritual too but she trusted Harry. She knew that he would never hurt her.

"If the Avatar is the only one to master all four elements, then, why is it that with wands, wizards could do multiple forms of magic regardless of elemental affinity?"

"Good question… I was thinking of that myself when Aang first told me I was the current Avatar incarnation. But during the Avatar State, I learned the reason why… You see, each wand has a core, right?" She looked at him and he nodded.

"Well, the cores as you know are made from energy conductors from various magical creatures… So, it means that the core, like your phoenix feather wand, for example, is already infused with magic… Adding the pulsating energy from your wand or focus core really, since some cultures use focus rings instead, add to that the magic of the words from the spells, it makes a magical person even more capable of doing something that they weren't predisposed to do… Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I guess it does… So, if magical beings are originally benders of an element, that would make me an Airbender, right?" Harry looked at her for confirmation and she nodded.

"Cool. I want to try learning that air scooter thing," Harry grinned before adding, "maybe the mighty Avatar Hermione could teach me a lot of her moves, eh?"

"Of course, I will teach you… It's just, bending is really difficult, Harry… I know you can do it, you are very powerful after all, it's just you're rather impatient, and well, bending is way more difficult than learning non-verbal casting," Hermione explained.

"Don't worry, Hermione. To be able to fly without a broom or to do the air scooter, I am willing to spend long hours of training… Besides, if I were to marry the living incarnation of a spiritual goddess, I must be capable of helping you, right?" Harry gave her a lopsided grin which made her heart flutter a bit.

"Do you have any more questions?"

"Well, just one… What does the soul-binding ritual entail? Do we have to use runes or learn a chant? Also, er, the soul-transfer ritual after that, do we need to prepare something? I've never really learned runes you know," Harry was sheepish.

"The soul-binding ritual, well, based on what I've seen from one of the Avatar's who did it, I only have to draw a ritual circle using four elements, there is a chant too, I'll take the lead and you just have to follow… And then, we do it." Hermione fought the blush but she knew it was for naught.

"Oh, I see… What about the soul-transfer ritual?"

"Er, we need runes for that… I'll be drawing runes all over our bodies, draw some blood from our wrists afterward, and then there will be chanting again, it will be like an offering to the spirits. If we're deemed worthy, we go back to our desired time… This has only been done once, by an Avatar who turned dark because she thought that she was betrayed by her husband… Anyway, this ritual is more about intent really," Hermione expounded.

"Should we… start doing the soul-binding ritual now?"

"No, not yet… I have to give you a copy of the chants. You have to memorize it… Wait a second," Hermione groped her pockets for her wand before she summoned some parchment and quill.

Hermione began scribbling away as she wrote the lines of the chants they needed to master for the rituals. With her hair bouncing with life was once again, her cheeks flushed, and her magic rippling against her skin, Harry smiled. This version of Hermione had been lost for the last five years before her untimely death. He had one question though.

"Hermione?"

"Hmmm?" She didn't look up from the parchment since she was busy scribbling away.

"Were you really sick, just like the healers said?" At his question, Hermione stopped writing and she looked at him with her mouth agape.

"How did you know that?"

"Coleen found you dead, she panicked and sent a Patronus to Susan. I rushed to your office and I just had a gut feeling that you were killed… So, I asked the healers and they said you died of natural causes, that you had long been sick… Is that true?" Harry had a pained and haunted look in his eyes as he said that. The sight of her sitting behind her desk, lifeless and cold, would always remain with him.

"Yes, it's true… I was slowly deteriorating but they didn't know why. I too wasn't able to find anything when I tried looking up my symptoms… During my training with the other Avatars, we all had a theory that my body was deteriorating due to the extreme energy of the Avatar Spirit trying to fight all the manipulations I was succumbed to… So, because of that, the warring effects of my Avatar powers and that of potions, spells, and obliviations was killing me little by little," she said sadly. Hermione felt she was such a disappointment because she wasn't able to defend herself the first time around.

"Hermione, look at me," Harry whispered. "You are not a failure, alright? Despite all the manipulations, you still performed your duties as the Avatar by helping me defeat Voldemort… And, you did all that successfully without even using your true capabilities… You should be proud of that," Harry said sincerely.

"But I – I also mothered the one darker than Voldemort and Grindelwald combined," Hermione sniffed.

"Hermione, that was in the past. We are here to change things. This time around, Rose Granger-Weasley will never be born," Harry proclaimed.

"I can't thank you enough, Harry… For doing all this," she smiled despite the tears.

"There's no need to thank me… I'll do anything for you, just like I know you'd do the same thing for me."

Suddenly, Hermione chuckled mirthlessly and Harry frowned a bit. "Is something the matter?" He asked.

"It's just… what if I kissed you in our previous life? Kissed you before you went after the Philosopher's Stone… Or, I asked you to the Yule Ball… Maybe kissed you when we went back in time to save Sirius and Buckbeak… I just, I could have prevented all this madness if I took the risk," Hermione shrugged.

"I – well, maybe it would've worked out, because you know I could never deny you and reject you… But, why didn't you do any of those things?" Harry asked gently.

"You never seemed to be interested in me. Besides, I'm not your type," Hermione shrugged. When Harry snorted, Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I followed you around all over Hogwarts, Hermione… Visited you every single day and night when you got petrified! I – well, nobody knows about this, but I bloody fancied you since our first year, even if I didn't understand that's what it was. I just liked being with you every day. Never knew much about social interactions so I didn't understand my feelings for you…. When the hormones kicked in sometime during our third year, I gave up on you because Ron said that you liked each other and I respected that… You wanna know why I fancied Cho? It's because she's a Ravenclaw so I assumed she was smart… Just like you," Harry admitted.

"Oh… So, it’s my fault then?" Hermione muttered.

"No! That's not what I meant! It's just, we're victims of the situation you know? I made the mistake of not confirming Ron's claims on you… And you, well, I guess you underestimate yourself," he shrugged.

"When did you get so wise?"

"Well, I spent most of my life with the Brightest Witch of the Age as my best friend," he winked.

"I'll finish writing the chants… You're entertaining me too much with your conversation skills, Mr. Potter." Hermione grinned at him before focusing on her parchment again.

"I missed talking to you."

"Me too, Harry. Me too."

oOOOOo

Harry had already memorized the chants. Hermione thoroughly explained what he should expect for the ritual hours ago. Now, they were looking at each other, just a few feet separating them. They stood in a clearing of the Forest of Dean in nothing but conjured robes covering their naked bodies. Despite the thick layer of snow on the ground, they were warm because of the heating charms.

"Are you ready, Harry?"

"Always, Hermione," he nodded.

"May the spirit of Raava unify our souls and bless our bonding," Hermione whispered before closing her eyes. With a deep calming breath, both of them unfastened their robes letting it drop to the floor. Harry did not bother to look at the parts of Hermione's body that he'd never seen before because he needed to focus.

"Fire, to light our bond and to ignite our passion," Hermione moved her hands around in the shape of a ball conjuring a scorching hot flame. Kicking her legs and pushing the fire with her hands, Harry shivered as they were now surrounded by a ring of fire.

"Air, to bring life in each of us and to keep our balance," Hermione pushed her hands down before she raised them again in a circular motion. With that movement, they were enveloped in a strong yet comforting wind that didn't put out the fire.

"Water, to heal our wounds and to fuel our union," with a graceful wave of her hands, water flowed freely in a circular pattern on the ground, one foot away from the ring of fire.

"Earth, to anchor our bond and to solidify our souls," kicking the ground, a thick wall of rocks surrounded the elemental ritual ring and Harry knew it was time.

Moving closer to Hermione so he could hold both of her hands, he said, "I choose you in life so our souls may be one… Death, time, and no one shall sever my promise to you… I offer myself to you, mind, body, and soul… Forever and for always… In the afterlife, I shall wait until you join me once again, so mote it be," Harry's tears were free-falling as his heart pounded heavily at the weight of his promise.

"I choose you in life so our souls may be one… Death, time, and no one shall sever my promise to you… I offer myself to you, mind, body, and soul… Forever and for always… In the afterlife, I shall wait until you join me once again, so mote it be," Hermione ended her promise with a teary-eyed smile.

" _Inprecantes Prospera amor noster"_

" _Nostris animabus coniungens"_

" _Adhaeret corpora nostra"_

" _Et sic erimus"_

" _Aeternus et umquam"_

" _In hac vita"_

" _Et in Mortis"_

" _Hoc enim pignus"_

" _Arca clausus est magicae"_

They repeated this chant over and over again until they were blinded by a bright white light. They could feel their bodies being levitated by a pulse of magical energy that neither of them had any idea where it was coming from. The only thing they knew was that their auras were reaching out towards each other, bringing them closer together forever.

When the blinding light dissipated and their feet were once again touching the ground, Harry and Hermione opened their eyes and smiled at each other.

"So… I guess that makes you my wife now, eh?" Harry joked.

"Not quite," Hermione whispered before she pulled her bond mate's face closer to her own. At the first meeting of their lips, Harry and Hermione forgot about their past and the future they have to rebuild together.

Taking the lead, Harry deepened the kiss as they savored the feeling of _finally_ being together after all this time. He lifted his bond mate and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Seeing the conjured robe they haphazardly left lying on the floor, Harry slowly walked towards it. Gently lowering Hermione to sit on the large cloth, their lips connected in a passionate frenzy once more. Hermione pulled away and Harry thought he did something wrong but seeing the smile on her face reassured him that everything was fine.

"You sit on the robe… I'll straddle you," Hermione's voice was husky as her eyes darkened with arousal. With the moon and the ring of fire lighting the now darkened forest, her skin seemed to glow in ways that could only be labeled as carnal and arousing.

The thought of Hermione straddling him as he plunged deep inside her body was making Harry's head spin as his arousal grew to unprecedented heights. Something about the simplicity and the urgency of the consummation of their bond made him feel primal with a passion that he had never experienced before.

Obeying her command, he stood up. Holding a hand to her, he helped her stand and she pecked his lips in a featherlight kiss that made his blood boil with pure unadulterated lust. With his mind clouded with desire and passion, he merely managed to sit on the robe.

The only thing Harry could remember was the sexy smirk on Hermione's face, her wild hair being blown by the wind surrounding them, and the way his heart pounded wildly in his chest.

What happened next was just a blur of wild and frantic movements – a combination of experimental touches, passionate kisses, and the joining of their bodies in the most intimate of ways… They didn't even notice that their bodies were glowing as they shared each other's pleasure while they danced to the old familiar tune of lovers underneath the moonlight...

As they called each other's name in ecstasy, Harry pressed his forehead against Hermione's while alternately pecking her lips over and over again as if to say, 'I love you… I love you… I love you.'

oOOOOo

Harry's eyes opened and he felt the warm body pressed against his. Shifting on his side, he kissed Hermione's lips. Since she was greeted by the sight of his gorgeous emerald green eyes sparkling with love for her, Hermione only smiled as she whispered, "hi."

"Hello, Mrs. Potter," Harry said huskily.

"I _am_ Mrs. Potter now," she had a shit-eating grin on her face as she realized that her girlish dreams of marrying her best friend had now finally come true.

"Yes, you are indeed," Harry pinched her nose.

"Hey!" She swatted his hand away.

"Are you alright, Hermione? You're not sore or anything?" His tone was laced with worry since they needed to do one more ritual and again she would be the one to take the lead.

"Never better," she smiled brightly.

"Good. I was worried I hurt you or you're too tired – or maybe you won't be able to do the – "

"Should we do the other ritual now?"

"I guess," Harry shrugged. "I like the bonding ritual better though," he muttered and Hermione giggled.

"You're such a boy!"

"Hmm… I don't know about that… You made this boy a _man_ now," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she rolled her eyes.

"Honestly!"

"When we go back in time… will you be my girlfriend?" Harry twirled a curly ringlet of her hair around his fingers.

"Girlfriend in public… fiancée in private?" She suggested.

"Do I get _ritual_ privileges as your fiancée in private?"

"Maybe when you're sixteen, we can renegotiate about _rituals_ ," she snorted.

"Fine," he pouted until a brilliant idea formed in his head and he said excitedly, "we can get married at Gretna Green on my sixteenth birthday!"

"You want to marry me at sixteen?" Her jaw dropped.

"Why not? That way our first time in that timeline would be on our wedding night… Also, I need to make sure that Ron can't potion you again," he growled at the thought of his supposed best mate abusing Hermione for such a long time.

"He can't do that anymore. We're bonded now," she tenderly cupped his cheek.

"I can't relax until we're married. I can't let him – _them_ – do that to you again," his arm around her waist tightened.

"We'll be fine, Harry. We will always be as long as we're together."

"Should we do the ritual inside the tent? It only requires chanting, runes, and blood after all," Harry suggested.

"Good idea."

oOOOOo

"I really don't like this ritual," Harry muttered as Hermione drew runes on his back using a mixture of crushed rocks and water. In short, she was using mud to paint symbols all over his back. She had already finished with his legs and arms.

"Yeah, well, Avatars practice elemental magic so the mud makes sense," Hermione chuckled.

"Somehow I'm scared to find out what we'll be doing with the fire later."

"We'll just have to stick our hand in the fire after making a small cut on our wrists," Hermione said nonchalantly.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Nope," she said popping the p.

"The things I do for you, Mrs. Potter," he feigned annoyance.

"There! All done," Hermione announced after finishing the runes on his back. Hermione had already drawn runes on her chest, arms, and legs so they were now ready.

"Should we stand for this ritual?"

"No, we should just squat… Ready?"

"Yes."

"Hold my right hand, Harry."

When Harry firmly held her hand, Hermione closed her eyes as she sought the spirit of Raava inside of her. Despite being told that Hermione would be in her Avatar State for this ritual when her eyes glowed white, Harry gasped. Hermione's power was something that he would always be in awe of. Seeing her like this reminded him that she was an extraordinary woman blessed by the spirits. There could only be one Avatar incarnation living on Earth and Hermione was the one selected by Raava. He was literally in the presence of a spirit goddess.

" _Song wo de linghun shiguang daoliu. Di er ci jihui jiuzheng cuowu, gaibianle wo de shenghuo weile geng hao, geng zhongyao de shi weile dajia de hao,"_ Hermione chanted.

" _Song wo de linghun shiguang daoliu. Di er ci jihui jiuzheng cuowu, gaibianle wo de shenghuo weile geng hao, geng zhongyao de shi weile dajia de hao,"_ Harry repeated.

With a swift movement of her hand, Hermione conjured an ice rod with a sharpened tip. Still under the Avatar State, she made a little cut on her wrist just to let some of her blood flow. Handing the rod to Harry, he followed her actions. After that, they chanted the words once again.

When Hermione moved her bloody wrist in a circling motion, blue flames began to form. Leaving the flame to hover beside them, Hermione held Harry's bloody hand with her own as she moved their joined hands to the flame as they chanted once again.

They continued to chant until Raava deemed their souls worthy to be sent back in time so they could fulfill their purpose…

oOOOOo

Harry and Hermione's souls merged with their younger bodies as they returned a couple of nights before the selection of the Tri-Wizard Champions. While in their sleep, the memories of their past life flashed in their mind in a series of vivid dreams.

Hogwarts and the rest of the Wizarding World would be in for a rude awakening when Avatar Hermione exposes the long-buried origins of magic that history had chosen to forget because of the inherent laziness of human beings. Along with the Master of Death, they would be changing the magical community forever through their revelations, plans, and the changes they would introduce.

Meanwhile, in the afterlife, Aang along with the other incarnations of the Avatar was so delighted to see the progress Harry and Hermione had already started to make.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the bonding ritual (Latin – English Translation):  
> Inprecantes Prospera amor noster = Invoking our love  
> Nostris animabus coniungens = Uniting our souls  
> Adhaeret corpora nostra = Joining our bodies  
> Et sic erimus = So shall we be one  
> Aeternus et umquam = Forever and ever  
> In hac vita = In this life  
> Et in Mortis = And in death  
> Hoc enim pignus = This we pledge  
> Arca clausus est magicae = Sealed in magic
> 
> For the soul-transfer ritual (Chinese Mandarin – English Translation):  
> Song wo de linghun shiguang daoliu. Di er ci jihui jiuzheng cuowu, gaibianle wo de shenghuo weile geng hao, geng zhongyao de shi weile dajia de hao = Send my soul back in time. A second chance to correct my mistakes, change my life for the better, and more importantly for everyone's good.
> 
> If you've read my on-going story, _My Cheating Heart_ , the chant for the bonding ritual is surely familiar to you (wink wink nudge nudge). Read MCH if you like action-filled fics. (shameless plug)


	3. In Change, Surprises Can Happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to God Save The Children.  
> Hi! How are ya? 
> 
> I only have one more chapter ready for posting because the next one is pending final beta approval. Also, the last three chapters are in my head but I haven't gotten them typed. So after this chapter, the posting will be much slower. 
> 
> It's my grandfather's birthday today but he passed away three years ago. If you enjoy my writing then we have my grandfather to thank for it because I inherited it from him since he used to write and make his own music and lyrics.
> 
> Also, it's Ron Weasley's birthday. Love him or hate him, he's part of the HP Universe. 
> 
> This fic has really long chapters. If you've read my other multi-chapter stories, what do you think of this format? Do you enjoy shorter and more chapters? Or do you like it longer, super intense but few? Please let me know. Feedback about things like that is a great help.

** In Change, Surprises Can Happen **

Harry Potter woke up feeling light and happy. Also, he felt a stirring of something in his heart… something that felt like Hermione. _Oh, she must be awake,_ with that thought, he turned to his nightstand and looked at the magical alarm clock, _October 30, 1994 – Sunday 6:00 AM_. With a big smile on his face, he got out of bed and hurriedly took a shower so he could meet his beloved in the Gryffindor Common Room.

After getting ready for the day, he all but ran downstairs so he could see Hermione again. Seeing her sitting there, with a large book on her lap, he smiled. No one else was around so the coast was clear.

"Good morning, Hermione!"

"Hi, Harry. You're up early," Hermione smiled as she closed her book. Crouching down, Harry leaned in to kiss her on the cheek and she giggled.

"You're in a happy mood this morning," she remarked.

"Can't I kiss my girlfriend on the cheek?" He pouted.

"You have to ask me first," she huffed.

"Oohhh… Playing hard to get eh, Granger?"

"Can we talk in the Room of Requirement?"

"Naughty! I thought you'd never ask," he winked. Hermione playfully swatted his arm before standing up from her armchair. Harry offered her arm to her and she happily accepted. Walking out the portrait hole, they walked toward the moving tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.

"I'll set the room," Hermione volunteered and he pouted.

"Nice try, Potter. No, we're not going in there to snog," she huffed, making her bond-mate chuckle. Walking three times in front of the empty wall, Hermione asked for a place to talk. When a door appeared, hand-in-hand, they stepped inside.

As the door closed, Harry gasped when Hermione tugged on his collar and proceeded to kiss him senseless. When they pulled apart for air, Hermione giggled at the goofy grin on his face.

"Be my boyfriend?" She asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Harry laughed and pinched her cheeks.

"You're so adorable."

"You know how I'm an advocate for women's empowerment. Besides, it's just technicalities anyway," she shrugged. Hermione walked towards a couch and sat there. Harry followed her lead and sat beside her.

"Here, I made an initial list of things we should and shouldn't do," Hermione handed him a parchment from the inner pocket of her robe. Harry perused the list and smiled at her amazing memory and organization skills.

"Hmm… these are brilliant. Since it's a Sunday, I reckon we should sneak into Gringotts."

"Why?"

"Betrothal rings for you and me. We have to make it official. That way, you would be protected from Rita Skeeter's journalistic flair."

"I have an idea," Hermione grinned.

"What?"

"The goblins hated us in the previous timeline because we snuck inside Gringotts… This time around, why don't we make them our allies?"

"How?"

"The basilisk remains. You could sell it to them for a good deal. The carcass would be worth a lot of galleons, potions ingredients, the skin as material for armor, and other things. Giving it to them for a decent price will make you earn a little bit of their trust; they'd see you as a valuable potential ally."

"But – do you honestly think Dumbles and Snape would let me handle the basilisk?" Harry had an incredulous look on his face.

"Per international law, slayer of the creature has the sole rights to its spoils," Hermione smirked.

"Somehow I am certain that the law has more fancy terms in there but you just summarized it in a way I could understand, Mighty Minister," Harry feigned offense.

"Oh, you know how much jargon is written in the law," she shrugged.

"You know, with your Avatar powers, your knowledge about the law from your experience as the Minister, and your innate brilliance, I feel really bad for whoever crosses you," Harry mused.

"You wouldn't want to be on my shit list then," the dark glint in her eyes made him shiver in fear and desire.

"You're so scary but it's a turn on… as long as you're not mad at me that is," he added and Hermione's face softened as she looked at him.

"Should we eat here instead and then sneak into Gringotts afterward?"

"Hermione, I have an idea… And before you explode on me – "

"You're thinking about hiring Dobby, aren't you?"

"Yes – but how did you know that?"

"Just a hunch… Go ahead, Harry. Call him. I know how much you miss the little guy," Hermione smiled at him reassuringly.

"You're not mad about this?"

"I have a better understanding of house-elves now," she snorted.

"Right… Dobby can you – " before he finished his sentence, his elven friend, someone who sacrificed his life to save them the first time around, popped in with a bright smile on his face.

"The Great Harry Potter Sir be calling Dobby!" The house-elf said excitedly. Overwhelmed with emotions, Harry stood and knelt so he could hug Dobby. With Harry's actions, Dobby blushed profusely as he sniffed. Hermione could only smile at the sight.

"Harry Potter be hugging Dobby! Dobby has never met any wizard as great as Harry Potter!"

"Well, it's just good to see you, Dobby," Harry was teary-eyed as he pulled away.

"What can Dobby do for Harry Potter Sir and his Miss Grangy?"

"Can I get a hug too Dobby? We really do miss you," Hermione said with a kind smile.

"Of course, Miss," Dobby flushed even more. Hermione crouched down and wrapped her arms around the kind and heroic house-elf. Glancing at Harry, they made a silent promise that this time around, Dobby would live a long and happy life.

"Dobby, how would you like to work for me and Hermione?" Harry asked as soon as she let go of their elven friend.

"It be such a great honor, sir! Dobby be liking that very much!"

"Alright… So, how do we do this?"

"You just be placing hand on Dobby's head sir and be saying, I, Harry Potter, claim Dobby as my house-elf and then the magic bond happens sir," Dobby was bouncing with eagerness.

"Okay then," Harry shrugged. Dobby bowed and Harry carefully placed his hand on top of his friend's little head. "I, Harry James Potter, claim Dobby as my house-elf and friend." Dobby glowed white and their bond was sealed.

Hermione wiped a stray tear away as she watched the reunion between the two friends. Dobby lovingly hugged Harry's leg. He could only smile at his friend's apparent delight at being a part of the Potter family.

"What can Dobby do for you, sir?"

"Why don't you start with calling me Harry, Dobby? You're part of our family now."

"O – okay, Ha – Harry," Dobby sniffed.

"Dobby… Can you please bring some food for us? We'll be sneaking into Gringotts afterward."

"Of course, Ha – Harry," with a snap of his finger, a table appeared and it was filled with all sorts of food. He was about to pop away but Hermione said, "Dobby, can you join as for breakfast? I think you may be able to help us solve some of our other problems," Hermione smiled and Harry understood that his bond mate just wanted their friend to feel welcome.

"Thank you, Miss Grangy." Dobby conjured a small stool for himself.

When they started eating, Harry had an idea. "Dobby, how much energy would it require for you to take me and Hermione outside of Gringotts in secret?"

"That's easy Harry. Elveses be popping all over with no one noticing," Dobby shrugged.

"You're brilliant, Dobby!" Looking at Hermione, they now had a plan on how they would secretly visit Gringotts.

oOOOOo

"Thank you, Dobby," Harry and Hermione chorused when they landed in front of Gringotts completely concealed under elven wards.

"Harry and Miss Grangy only call Dobby when they need to return to Hogwarts," with a big smile on his little face, their friend popped away. Per Dobby's explanation, as soon as they stepped inside Gringotts, the wards concealing them would be lifted.

With Hermione on his arm, Harry walked toward a teller. The goblin gave him a sneer but he said in a polite voice, "Good morning, sir. My name is Harry Potter. I was wondering if you could help me see my account manager, please."

"Good morning, Mr. Potter and friend. Please follow me," the goblin said in a nicer tone this time.

"Here we are," the goblin pointed to a large door that's marked Potter Family Account Manager.

"Thank you, sir," Harry and Hermione chorused. The goblin politely nodded at them before walking away. Harry knocked on the door and when they heard a gruff, "come in," they entered the room.

"Greetings, Sir. May your vaults be filled with gold and your enemies crush beneath your feet," Harry and Hermione greeted with a respectful bow.

"Greetings, Mr. Potter and friend," the Potter Family Account Manager recovered from his shock at the formal greeting but he too bowed respectfully.

"I believe we haven't been formally introduced, Sir," Harry started.

"Mr. Potter and friend, please call me Braveheart. I've been working as the Potter Family Account Manager for almost a hundred years. While it is a surprise to see you today, I am truly very pleased to see you here. We should've met during your eleventh birthday so you could arrange things about your current holdings," Braveheart explained.

"I'm so sorry Braveheart but I – "

"Oh! I am so sorry! Please do sit," Braveheart pointed to the two armchairs in front of the large shiny desk made of marble.

"Thank you," they chorused as they each took a seat.

"Braveheart, before anything else, let me introduce to you, my intended, Ms. Hermione Jean Granger," Harry gestured to Hermione.

"Pleased to meet the future Lady of the House of Potter," Braveheart lowered his head to Hermione as a sign of salute.

"Er, Braveheart? Lady of the House of Potter? What does it mean?" Harry glanced at Hermione who was as astounded as he was. In the original timeline, Harry never had any sort of title. Ginny was just Mrs. Potter, no other special title.

"Ah, yes. You see, the Potter Family magic is unique in the sense that it bestows titles only when the head of the family marries someone deemed worthy by the ancients. The last Lord and Lady Potter were your grandparents, Charlus and Dorea Potter. Your father and mother weren't able to see if family magic deemed them worthy before they went away to hide because of the war. Anyway, I am confident that Ms. Granger over here will be deemed worthy, of course. Something about your magic feels so special… If I may be blunt, she is the most magically powerful being I have ever met," Braveheart expounded as he looked at Hermione who blushed at the last statement.

"You're right, Braveheart. Hermione is very special indeed," Harry winked at Hermione who only flushed even more. "Anyway, we have some business that we seek your advice on. One of which is a betrothal arrangement for us. I want Hermione protected and to give her reassurance that I am very serious about our relationship. I plan to take no other but her. Also, I have a feeling that as we age, there might be people who would try and tear us apart, so we seek Gringotts' help in preventing this from happening," Harry continued.

"Those are very good points, Mr. Potter… Now concerning your betrothal, Potter family is rather strict about these things. So, we have to conduct a full test on you both. The test would make sure that none of you are bewitched as you make this decision. Also, it would check how magically compatible and healthy you both are. This is done so that you can be certain your relationship would be long and prosperous."

"What do you think, Hermione?" Harry turned to his best friend and intended.

"I'm perfectly alright with it, Harry. That way, no one can claim that I potioned you into getting together with me. Besides, who knows, maybe the goblin healers could find something physically wrong with us and by doing so, preventing us from getting sick, thus ensuring that we live a long and happy life together," Hermione touched her forehead to brush some strands of her hair away but Harry understood. She was indicating that maybe the goblins could remove the Horcrux in his scar.

"We'll do it, Braveheart," Harry said with determination and Hermione smiled at him.

"Alright! Please follow me," Braveheart stood up from his seat and led them towards another part of Gringotts that neither of them had seen in their past lives.

oOOOOo

"So… Who shall be undergoing the tests first?" Jewel, their goblin healer, inquired.

"I'll go first please, Jewel," Hermione volunteered.

"Alright… Please stand over there and remove your robes. The fewer clothes, the better the results," Jewel pointed to a small ritual circle in the corner.

"So… it's better if I take all of my clothes off then?" Hermione asked as she removed her robe.

"Well, yes. But Mr. Potter's here."

"I can go if you like," Harry shrugged.

"No, he can stay. I trust him. Besides, he can just turn around," Hermione suggested.

"Well then, Mr. Potter, if you could please turn around… Thank you."

Hermione removed all of her clothes and placed them on a conjured basket that Jewel handed over. Standing in the middle of the ritual circle, she took a deep calming breath before saying, "I'm ready, Jewel."

Jewel started to chant in goblin tongue and as Hermione felt an intrusive form of magic course through her, she closed her eyes. After ten minutes of chanting, a thorough record of Hermione's health and magical strength appeared on an enchanted parchment. As Jewel skimmed through Hermione's records, she cursed in anger.

"Ms. Granger you have been fed magical suppression potions ever since you're ten years old. Also, there seems to be some binding on your magic… Dumbledore! You've been fed loyalty potions keyed to the old wizard and the Weasley family ever since you arrived at Hogwarts," Jewel's voice was calm but you could hear her restrained anger.

"Oh… I see. Could you help me remove these blocks, Jewel?"

"Well yes. You only need to take some potions every day for an entire week. Also, I think I need to give you a monthly dose of flushing potions, dear. Just to be sure… I sense a connection between you and Mr. Potter over here, maybe it’s a soul bond but that’s really difficult to ascertain. Things like that could only be proven or disproven during weddings. Anyway, just to be sure, you better take a monthly dose of flushing potions. It’s better to be safe than sorry given how much you’ve been dosed in the past," Jewel looked at Hermione with concern.

"Thank you, Jewel," Hermione held the goblin's hand and smiled gratefully.

"Of course, dear. Children are the most important thing for us goblins. What that old wizard did to you is punishable through a beheading in our nation… Since he is very powerful among your lot though, I will provide you a thorough health and magical report for now. That way, you can use it as evidence if you go after him," Jewel squeezed her hand in comfort.

"Thank you," Hermione was teary-eyed. Even if she already had an idea of what Dumbledore and the Weasleys had done to her in the past, learning the severity of their actions just opened up fresh wounds.

"You may now wear your clothes again, dear. I'll check on Mr. Potter first and then I will give you instructions for your new potion regimen… Also, er, do you mind if I show your test results to Director Ragnok?"

"Why? Is something wrong with my test results, Jewel?" Hermione asked as she continued to dress.

"Oh, no! It's just – you should know dear that you are likely the most powerful magical being alive… I can only remember power like this to be the tale of legends," Jewel explained sheepishly.

"Oh… Well, I trust the Goblin Nation, Jewel. So, if you think this information is pertinent to the Director, then I don't see a problem with it at all," Hermione shrugged.

"Thank you, dear… Mr. Potter, you can turn around now."

"Hermione, are you alright?" Harry ran to her and cupped her cheek gently.

"I'm fine, Harry. I'm really happy there's a check-up of sorts before we sign our betrothal contracts though. At least we're sure if our health and magic are working well," Hermione offered a small smile but it didn't reach her eyes. Harry wrapped her in his arms in a gesture of comfort.

"We'll make them pay, Hermione. For what they did to you and for what they plan to do to you. I'm always here. I'll help keep you safe," Harry whispered reassuringly as he rubbed her back.

"Th – Thank you, Harry," Hermione sniffed as she slowly pulled away.

Harry reached out a hand to wipe her tears away. "Now smile for me, please," Harry grinned. Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled anyway and Harry chuckled. "That's my girl."

"Mr. Potter, are you ready?" Jewel asked.

"As I'll ever be, Jewel," Harry said as he shrugged off his robes.

"Hermione, dear, your turn to look away." Hermione nodded and she picked a spot on the opposite corner and squatted on the floor facing the wall.

"Alright, Mr. Potter, please stand in that ritual circle… Thank you."

Harry felt self-conscious at being stark naked in front of a female goblin so he closed his eyes. As Jewel started to chant, he felt the rush of magic rising in his body starting from his feet and upwards. Since the magic felt light and caring, he relaxed. When the diagnostic enchantments reached the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, he screamed in pain.

"Harry!" He could faintly hear Hermione's scream before he passed out.

oOOOOo

"He – Hermione?" Harry muttered as his eyes fluttered open and the first thing he saw was Hermione's tear stricken face.

"Harry! You're alright! I was so worried," Hermione exclaimed before kissing his forehead.

"Hermione – you – you're naked!" Harry looked at the ceiling to avoid the very enticing sight.

"Oh – er, sorry. They needed to include me in the cleansing ritual. I was used as some sort of anchor for you... They used my blood to add to the mix of the potion used in the rune scheme – and – " Hermione blushed as she realized that she was spouting out facts.

"What happened to me? My head feels like a dozen bludgers crashed on it," he raised a hand to massage his forehead. His mouth widened in surprise when he could no longer feel his world-famous scar.

"Did they – they successfully remove _you know_ ," he whispered. Hermione nodded solemnly but her eyes sparkled with joy.

"Oh, so that's one victory, right?" He smiled despite the pain in his forehead.

"Yes, it is – " Hermione's reply was interrupted when they heard a loud clearing of the throat.

"Jewel!" They chorused as their cheeks heated up.

"Please get changed you two. Director Ragnok needs to talk to you both after this. We've removed the scar on Mr. Potter's head and we've learned about a possible explanation regarding Ms. Granger's extreme magical abilities," Jewel announced.

"Oh, er, okay. Thanks, Jewel," Hermione muttered as she stood up from her position by his bedside. Seeing Hermione's body, Harry immediately looked away because it would be so bloody embarrassing if he got an inappropriate reaction in front of the goblins.

"I'll wait outside for you two to get ready," Jewel nodded before leaving the room.

"Do you have any idea what this conversation is going to be about?" Harry asked Hermione as he hurriedly fumbled into his clothes.

"I just hope the goblins will be willing to help us. It would be great if they could help propel our plans forward," Hermione replied as she buttoned her blouse.

"Let's just hope it's good news for us," Harry sighed as he finished dressing.

oOOOOo

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter, Avatar Hermione," Ragnok greeted them as they entered the elegantly decorated office. Hermione had met the Chief of the Goblin Nation in her past life so she knew the protocols about this meeting.

Placing her open palm against her chest, Hermione bowed. "Director Ragnok, may your vaults be filled with gold and your enemies crushed beneath your feet." Harry followed suit after Hermione's greeting.

"Please, sit! It is my great pleasure to meet the Avatar and the prophesied one," Ragnok grinned at them.

"How did you – "

"How did I know that you're the Avatar?" Ragnok interrupted. Hermione could only nod as they each sat on the empty armchairs.

"One of our many archives of old scrolls describe a magical being like no other. There had long been stories about a magical human being so powerful that he or she is the bridge between the mortal and spirit worlds. This person has the elemental magic to bend fire, air, water, and earth to follow his will. Also, this person is a reincarnation of the first human to have merged themselves with the spirit of light and peace… Based on your test results... You can only be the Avatar," Ragnok explained.

"Oh, um, okay," Hermione nodded.

"The Goblin Nation would be so honored to pledge our support to the spirit of the giver of magic, Avatar Hermione," Ragnok stood up and bowed to Hermione. Hermione was shocked that the leader of the goblins bowed to her. Even when she was the Minister for Magic, Director Ragnok never bowed to her. Recovering from her shock, she stood to return the respectful gesture.

"Now… let's talk about important matters. Avatar Hermione, you need goblin protection. I am confident that you can handle yourself being the most powerful magical being alive, but the results of your tests are alarming. A politically powerful wizard, Albus Dumbledore, has been dosing you with potions that would suppress your elemental magic. So, the goblins would like to offer you a boon… I would adopt you as my ward. That way, all your affairs in the magical community would be mitigated and watched by all of us. Through that, it would be legal to provide wards around your home as well. And, we can give your parents emergency portkeys in case of an attack or calamity."

"This is all so overwhelming but thank you, sir, so much… You don't know how much I appreciate all your support," Hermione said sincerely.

"It is the honor of the Goblin Nation to be in service to the incarnation of the spirit of light, the giver of magic," Ragnok replied in earnest. Harry reached out and squeezed Hermione's hand in support to convey that he was delighted that she would be protected from now on. He was reassured that someone else in the magical community, aside from himself, was going the extra mile to protect her.

"Now, Mr. Potter, I believe we have something to discuss regarding the taint in your scar," Ragnok turned to Harry with a grave face.

"Yes, sir. I would like to express how grateful I am to have that ghastly scar removed. It's been troubling me for as long as I can remember. Not to mention the dark visions that remind me of the person who killed my – "

"Yes, Mr. Potter. You are correct. Your scar is indeed related to the bastard, Voldemort. It is in fact, a piece of his soul created from the vilest of dark magic," Ragnok growled.

"I can't say I'm surprised, sir, with all the dreams and visions I've been getting that are all related to him… Not to mention the ability to speak to snakes, which I assume is something I got from him as well... It just makes sense really... So, I just want to say thank you so much, sir, for all the help from the Goblin Nation. You've finally freed me from his taint," Harry said earnestly.

"Yes, you are welcome. The Goblin Nation has always been treated by members of the House of Potter with the utmost respect. Besides, as one of our most valuable clients, it is our pleasure to be of service… There is an important matter you should know though," Ragnok's voice reflected his restrained anger.

"What is it, sir?"

"Voldemort has more soul pieces scattered around who knows where!" Ragnok slammed his large fist on the desk. The impact shocked Harry and Hermione making them lean back a little which the Chief of the Goblin Nation noticed. "Sorry, that bastard and his Death Eaters make me livid."

"I actually have an idea as to what happened to one of the Horcruxes, sir. This is one of our agendas for coming here. Aside from getting our betrothal contract in place… In my second year, I had to fight a sixty-foot basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets since Voldemort had controlled a student to open it with a Horcrux in the form of a diary," Harry started to explain and Ragnok's face went pale.

"Tell me all that you know, Mr. Potter... All that you know," Ragnok gritted his teeth. Harry told Ragnok about the diary, the locket, the cup, the ring, the diadem, and Nagini using the excuse that he saw visions of them through his scar.

And with that, Harry and Hermione found a formidable ally in their journey to make things right. Ragnok, Chief of the Goblin Nation, a cunning and brilliant war strategist, was now their comrade in the fight against Voldemort.

oOOOOo

"Bloody hell! Where were you guys? I've been looking everywhere for you!" Ron exclaimed as Harry and Hermione sat across their supposed best friend at the Gryffindor table during dinner. They had spent all morning and some parts of the afternoon at Gringotts before they visited the Office of the Daily Prophet to have a quick chat with Rita Skeeter. Instead of antagonizing the nosy beetle just like the last timeline, this time around, they decided to have her as an ally who would be exposing the secrets of their enemies for them. A win-win situation for them both. The headline tomorrow would surely make tongues wag and hearts of young witches break. After all, per Ragnok's suggestion, they needed the excuse to isolate themselves and to validate the presence of Hermione's goblin guards. Also, once outside Gringotts, Harry whispered to Hermione that publicizing the full details of their betrothal arrangement would keep Molly, Ginny, and Ron from interfering with their relationship.

"We were at the library, Ronald," Hermione huffed. With Dobby's magic, their little elven friend had made illusions of them studying in the library along with a charm that would keep other students away from them.

"Oh? Then why didn't I see you then?" Ron countered with a deep frown on his face. Being bonded to Hermione, Harry could feel her magic start to ripple in anger, so he calmed her down by discreetly holding her hand.

Before any of them could react, Neville intervened. "I did see them, Ron. They were sitting in a hidden corner. They looked busy so I didn't say hi."

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances before they smiled at Neville.

"You are welcome to come join us anytime, Neville," Hermione offered.

"Re – really?" Neville stammered.

"Of course! What are friends for? Besides, Harry could use another wizard in our mini study group," Hermione said and Harry nodded in agreement.

"Thank you! I might join you guys tomorrow if you're alright with that. I need to study for potions since, you know, Snape." Neville blushed.

"You're welcome to join us anytime, mate." Harry grinned at Neville.

"Great! Just what we need more bookworms. First Harry and then Neville. Bloody brilliant, Hermione," Ron said grumpily.

Since Ron was busy stuffing his face with dinner, Hermione leaned in so she could whisper to Harry. "Thank you for helping me rein in my temper, Harry."

"Anytime, darling," he whispered back. Ron being the oblivious moron didn't notice the way Harry and Hermione were sitting much closer than they normally would. Also, his mind failed to register the whispering from his supposed best friends. Neville Longbottom being the astute observer, since he's used to being in the background, smiled knowingly.

oOOOOo

The next day, Harry and Hermione were sitting beside each other on an armchair. She was on Harry's lap as a gesture of comfort. Today was the annual commemoration of all that he had lost. Aside from what this day meant to Harry, tonight, he would be chosen as the fourth champion of the Tri-Wizard tournament once again. While both of them knew what to expect, they still felt nervous. They had a huge task to do – change things for the better and save as many lives as they could. It was a colossal task and despite all the power and knowledge they both had, a lingering sense of fear that something could go wrong clouded them.

While the help from the goblins and their sneaky way of convincing Rita Skeeter to be on their side was a stroke of pure genius, they were still anxious about the reactions of the entire wizarding community, most especially Dumbledore and his cronies, about the headline that would shock everyone this morning.

"Harry?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Do you think – should I – I mean, how long do you think we can keep the full extent of my Avatar powers a secret?" Hermione muttered as her fingers traced circles on his palm.

"Are you afraid that people would start looking at you differently?" He whispered as he placed his chin on her shoulder.

"Well… yes. I'm used to being in the background, you know," she sighed.

"Hermione, you're hardly in the background… Besides, you did become the Minister," he tried to cheer her up with a joke.

"It's just, I feel like when everyone knows I'm the Avatar it's like being you – well, what people expect you to be. Boy who lived and all that," she summarized.

"Oh… Yeah, I see your point. Being the whole _Boy Who Lived_ thing was hard. But you – you're like a goddess," he whispered as he tightened his hold on her.

"I know… Well, I'm lucky that the goblins are on our side now. More importantly, I have you with me," she turned to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"You will always have me. Our bond, our rings, and the way we feel about each other would make sure of that! Nothing and no one can keep us apart now, I promise," he kissed her shoulder.

"I can't thank you enough for doing all this – helping me through all this," she whispered as her thumb caressed the ruby on her betrothal ring.

"Are you sure you – you like that ring? We can get you another one if – "

"Harry, I love it! The last person to have worn it was your grandmother and it's been in your family for generations. Even if the ring was made of fake stones, I'd still love it because it was you who gave it to me," she reassured him.

"Oh… Okay… You know, once everyone knows that you're the Avatar, I believe the pureblood wizards will be all over you," Harry teased and she snorted.

"Honestly! If a bloody wizard challenges you for my hand, I'd duel that wizard myself," she huffed.

"Good to know that you aren't a damsel in distress, darling," he poked her side and she giggled.

"Harry – look!" Hermione pointed two owls hovering by the window.

"It must be from Director Ragnok and Rita," Harry muttered. With a wave of her hand, Hermione opened the window using air bending. The two owls entered the Gryffindor Common Room and immediately headed toward them.

After they gently removed the letters from the owls' legs, the birds only hooted in acknowledgment before flying away. Each of them picked a letter to read before switching.

"Hmmm… Harry Potter betrothed to Ward of the Goblin Nation, Hermione Granger… Seems rather tame for Rita," Harry mused.

"Yes, well, at least her stories are based on facts this time around," Hermione snorted.

"Well, Rita may be a lot of things but she isn't stupid. She wouldn't dare face the wrath of the Goblin Nation," Harry chuckled.

"She better not," Hermione said as she conjured a tiny ball of flame in her hand. Once again, Harry was amazed at the raw power she possessed.

"You have got to teach me how to do the air scooter," he pouted.

"Of course, I will. You better prepare yourself for training, Mr. Potter. I won't have my betrothed embarrass me in this silly tournament," she huffed playfully and Harry poked her hip once again.

"Not all of us could be the Mighty Avatar, you know," he feigned offense.

"And not all of us could be the great Harry Potter," she retorted smartly and they shared a laugh.

"Are you ready to face the wolves for today, darling?" Harry inquired.

"As I'll ever be," she nodded.

"Don't forget to remove the concealment charm on your ring," he reminded her.

"That's right. Thanks for reminding me," Hermione pointed her wand on her ring and now, everyone could see the ruby and gold beauty on her finger.

"Hermione? Since people will start hating me by tonight, do you mind if we destroy the diadem tomorrow? Maybe an exotic stroll down to the Chamber of Secrets? You know we have to do our part since the goblins already killed the Horcrux on the Hufflepuff Cup. We can't have them thinking we're slacking off after all," he said gallantly and she giggled.

"My! My! How romantic," she jokingly swooned.

"Bloody charming, aren't I? Dangerous dates of hunting soul pieces and a basilisk carcass," he said pompously.

"Come on, Ha – "

"Good morning, Harry, Hermione," Neville greeted so cheerfully that Hermione almost jumped out of Harry's lap were it not for his arms wrapped around her waist. "I see congratulations are in order," Neville teased as he saw the ring on his friends' fingers.

"Aren't I a lucky bastard, Neville," Harry smirked and Hermione elbowed him. "Ow!"

"A lucky bastard indeed, mate," Neville chuckled.

"Neville, do you want to join us for breakfast?" Hermione said as she stood up from Harry's lap.

"Sure. I'll even help you in shooing away the wolves," Neville smiled.

"Let's go then. I'm hungry," Harry pouted.

oOOOOo

One by one as the students and staff of Hogwarts entered the Great Hall, Hermione could feel her heart pounding erratically inside her chest. Since Harry was holding her hand in reassurance, no one else but Neville had seen her beautiful ring yet. When the post owls flocked to drop their respective parcels as well as copies of the Daily Prophet all over Hogwarts, Harry and Hermione waited for the explosion.

Just by looking at the headline, all eyes were then focused on Harry and Hermione. Deciding to show that he was not afraid of the news of their betrothal going public, Harry lifted Hermione's hand and kissed her knuckles with her ring on display.

As the murmurs got louder and louder, Ron Weasley was the first to react.

"You – you, traitor! How could you take Hermione away, Potter?" Ron snarled.

"Hermione does not belong to you, Ron. Besides, I love her and she loves me. She's the light of my life. If you were our friend, you'd be happy for us," Harry said with calm politeness.

"How dare you – "

"Ron! Stop! You wouldn't want to shame the name of our house by going against protocol. Harry will be the future Head of the House of Potter. Their business is no concern of yours," Fred Weasley intervened with a serious voice that shocked everyone.

"Fred and I offer our sincerest congratulations to this joyous occasion. To the future of the House of Potter, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter!" George lifted his cup in a toast.

Supportive as ever, all the Gryffindors, except for Ron, Ginny, and Romilda Vane lifted their cups. All three had long run away in anger, tears, and disbelief while Fred and George were congratulating the couple extravagantly.

"To Harry Potter and Hermione Granger! The Golden Couple of Gryffindor!" Fred added.

"To Harry and Hermione!" The Gryffindors chorused. With all this commotion happening around, Harry glanced at Draco Malfoy who had recently read the short note he and Hermione wrote last night detailing the Slytherin's secrets. When Draco looked at him, he gave a subtle nod. The blonde Slytherin only stared at him for a few seconds before nodding as well. Harry looked at Hermione who was blushing profusely at the attention.

"Malfoy agrees to our meeting this weekend," he whispered in her ear. Since the Gryffindors were none the wiser, they good-naturedly teased the newly betrothed couple.

"Got it… Oops! Incoming," Hermione whispered back as she saw Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall coming to approach them.

"Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger! My office now!" Dumbledore bellowed in a way that stunned everyone. He had lost the grandfatherly twinkle in his eyes.

"Albus!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed. As if remembering himself, Dumbledore's signature loving grandfather persona reappeared.

"Yes, sorry about my outburst. I'm just surprised at this auspicious news of your betrothal… You both are so young. Perhaps, you can come with me to my office for a talk?" The twinkle in the headmaster's eyes was back. Harry and Hermione could feel a slight probe on their mental shields but they easily deflected it by thinking of something else.

"Albus! Ms. Granger and Mr. Potter are supposed to be in my class right after breakfast," Professor McGonagall reminded the headmaster.

"Come now, Minerva. Ms. Granger and Mr. Potter here could miss a few classes. It's just a talk with their dear headmaster – " before Albus could insist, the main entrance of the Great Hall opened and in walked two goblin warriors.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Dumbledore hissed. There was no one else who talked because everyone present in the Great Hall was slackjawed at this never before seen side of their fun-loving headmaster.

"Avatar Hermione, it is an honor to be your assigned guards," the two goblins bowed respectfully.

"A – Avatar Hermione?! Will somebody explain to me what the hell is going on?!" Dumbledore growled. He seemed to be getting angrier and angrier as the minutes pass.

"Avatar Hermione, you are not obliged to respond to this _wizard's_ demands," a goblin guard drawled without looking at the livid old wizard. Instead, the goblins' eyes were focused on the witch they had promised to protect.

"It's alright, sir – sorry, what are your names?" Hermione politely addressed her goblin guards.

"My name is Sharpfang and this is my second-in-command, Riptooth. We are tasked to provide you with – "

"As the headmaster, I cannot allow a student to have armed warriors following her around! Also, I don't know what this Avatar thing means – "

"Albus! May I remind you that this matter, with Ms. Granger being a ward of the Chief of the Goblin Nation himself, is something that our laws cannot circumvent. Tread carefully, Albus. I don't want you to lose your head over a silly temper tantrum over something that is truly none of your business," interrupted Minerva McGonagall.

"Professor McGonagall, I don't want people to think that I am getting special treatment, so I think it's best to show everyone why I received the honor of being a ward of the Nation…. Will you, er, please step away… Thank you," Hermione glanced around. Seeing Harry there calmed her down.

Closing her eyes, Hermione moved her hands in a circular motion conjuring a throw pillow sized ball of flame. Pushing her arms upward, the scorching hot flame roared above her.

Gasps could be heard from everyone present except for Harry and the goblins. If they thought that was all there was to see, they were wrong. This time around, Hermione kicked her feet before she landed on an air scooter letting her ride around in circles for a few seconds. Landing flawlessly on her feet as the air scooter vanished, Hermione pushed her arms to the side and a strong gust of wind made the house banners swish wildly.

After that, Hermione conjured an iced dagger by moving her arms from side to side before making a hard push forward. The iced dagger nearly pierced through a portrait before Hermione stopped it with a gesture of her hand, letting it evaporate away. Lastly, Hermione kicked the floor and she was surrounded by a wall of rock covering her from the waist down.

"You – what are you?!" Dumbledore was pale-faced as he looked at Hermione with fear.

"I wish no harm to anyone. The Goblin Nation is just kind enough to offer their protection. Seeing how bigoted the Wizarding Community is, I accepted their help. I am at risk not just because I am Harry Potter's betrothed. I am in even more risk because of my special abilities," Hermione calmly explained. Since the goblin warriors immediately moved forward to cover their ward, Dumbledore stepped back.

"Fine! I will allow the presence of your protection but they can only stay outside classrooms and other rooms you occupy. They cannot enter the dorms. They must always stay outside. I don't want them to frighten the other students," Dumbledore acquiesced. The hardness in his voice told Harry and Hermione that this wouldn't be the last encounter they would be having with the headmaster about this matter.

"Alright, students! Nothing to see here! Off to your classes!" Professor McGonagall bellowed. Harry glanced at the male students and frowned. While some wizards looked scared at Hermione's display of power, there were a few others who saw _his_ fiancée as the ultimate prize.

oOOOOo

The rest of the day, Harry and Hermione were followed by whispers, staring, and glares. The news of their betrothal and the unexpected showcase of Hermione's elemental magic, along with Dumbledore's ballistic reaction to the presence of her goblin guards, overshadowed the excitement of the selection of champions after the Halloween feast.

There were people genuinely happy for them, students and teachers, alike. For the hopeless romantics, Harry and Hermione were the perfect couple – the classic story of best friends relying on each other until their closeness formed into a love so true and beautiful.

On the other hand, some witches think that Hermione is too plain, boring, and undeserving of their beloved Boy Who Lived. Harry worried that Hermione would be affected by the jealous witches but she only snorted at that. She even whispered to him that if she were the fifteen-year-old Hermione, she would be bothered by it. Since she's already lived through her teenage years though, and not to mention her stint as the minister, her confidence in herself was strong enough to survive petty teenage gossip mongers.

Aside from the witches, there were wizards, most especially purebloods, who now wanted Hermione for themselves because of her very powerful magical ability. With her as a goblin ward, she had strong political backing too. Rita's article stated that she was the ward of Director Ragnok, Chief of the Goblin Nation after all. Despite being bigoted, a lot of purebloods lusted after money. Since the goblins control the flow of galleons and wealth, Hermione being the ward of their leader changed her status from brilliant muggleborn into premier access to getting ahead in business. So, Harry could feel the heated glares being sent his way as well.

Ron didn't sit with Harry and Hermione during classes, free periods, and lunchtime. Instead, it was Neville who spent the rest of the day with them. Ron was too busy glaring at them but they couldn't care less. Truth be told, they were relieved that Ron was keen to just glare at them from a distance. That way, he couldn't interfere with their plans nor could he lure Hermione into an abusive potion-based relationship again.

As the hours passed and got closer and closer to dinner time, Harry and Hermione would exchange wary glances at each other. If they created a ruckus this morning due to the news of their betrothal and Hermione's Avatar powers, then tonight, it was Harry's turn to be the center of unwanted attention because of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

oOOOOo

They were sitting at the Gryffindor table across from Neville Longbottom. By now, the excitement of their betrothal and the events that happened had slowly died down. The only people sneaking glances, well glares at them, were the jealous witches and wizards who wanted to break the couple up. Harry and Hermione could also feel the eyes of Dumbledore and Snape frequently turning to their direction but they ignored it, for now. The tactics of these two cunning wizards were usually covert and suave so they weren't worried that the two would start any trouble.

Hermione leaned in and whispered to Harry, "I know we expected the prying eyes of Dumbledore and Snape. Also, the glaring from Ron, Romilda, and teary-eyed Ginny, but honestly! Check out the Slytherin table, Viktor Krum is seriously creeping me out… If you go to the Ravenclaw table, I feel the eyes of Fleur Delacour on us… I'm not sure if she's looking at you or me but it's really bothersome."

Harry checked the Slytherin table and indeed Viktor Krum was ogling Hermione in a way that made his blood boil. The Bulgarian Seeker must have noticed his staring and returned it with an icy glare. Harry shifted closer to Hermione as if to remind Viktor that she was spoken for. It was also a gesture of protection since Viktor's eyes on his fiancée was truly disturbing.

"Was Viktor like this the first time around?" Harry whispered while his eyes were still glaring daggers at an equally livid Viktor.

"Well, he watched me study which is rather creepy sometimes but it's nothing I couldn't handle… He could get a bit handsy but when I pushed back, he respected it… To be honest, I can't remember him ever looking at me the same way he does now though," Hermione mused.

"I see… Well, you shouldn't trust him this time around."

"Are you jealous?" Hermione teased.

"No, why would I be when I have you? It's just I'm worried he might do something to you," Harry said seriously.

"I'll be fine, Harry," Hermione held the hand in his lap and smiled at him reassuringly. He smiled at her and she resumed eating. This time around, he turned to the Ravenclaw table where the Beaubaxton students sat and looked at Fleur. When she gave him a fierce glare, he bit his bottom lip to stop himself from chuckling. Veela was attracted to the most powerful person in the room and right now, Hermione was the most powerful person in the castle. As the Avatar, she was special so naturally, the Veela in Fleur would be drawn to her.

"Darling?"

"Hmmm?" Hermione smiled at him.

"I hate to break it to you but Fleur is glaring at me and not you," he said teasingly.

"Right! Veela magic! This is going to be so awkward," Hermione sighed. Harry wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I guess this is just the start of me having to fend off your ardent suitors, both witches, and wizards alike, it seems," he chuckled and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up, Mr. Boy Who Lived," she huffed playfully.

"Now I know that Viktor and Fleur will be giving me a much harder time during the tournament this time around," he whispered.

"Don't worry, Harry. I'll protect you," she winked and he chuckled.

Neville noticed their antics and chuckled at his friends' interaction. Harry and Hermione smiled at Neville. They made the right choice of bringing the shy Gryffindor under their wing because, in the last timeline, Neville Longbottom was the fiercest and most loyal friend they had, just like Luna Lovegood.

oOOOOo

The Goblet of Fire was blazing with blue flames in front of the staff table. All eyes were now focused on the beautiful silver cup eagerly awaiting Dumbledore's announcement. As the flames ignited a nearly blinding light, a slightly burnt parchment floated in the air that the headmaster easily caught. Just like in the original timeline, Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, and Cedric Diggory were chosen to represent each of the competing schools to the delight of their respective peers.

Knowing what would happen next, Hermione turned to Harry. "Good luck, Harry… I just wanted you to know that I'm always here to support you. I love you, Potter," Hermione whispered while taking his hand.

"Likewise, darling. I love you, Granger," Harry whispered back.

When the Goblet of Fire emitted bright light once more, everyone was stunned since this wasn't supposed to happen. As a parchment of paper floated from it, Dumbledore caught it once again and he bellowed, "Harry Potter!"

Again, all eyes were focused on Harry. Kissing Hermione's forehead, he then stood up and pointed his wand to his throat as he muttered _Sonorous._ "I, Harry James Potter, heir to the House of Potter, hereby solemnly swear on my life and magic that I did not enter my name in the Goblet of Fire nor did I ask someone else to do it for me. This I swear, so mote it be!" Harry's voice was heard by everyone present in the Great Hall.

Thinking of Hermione and his parents, Harry whispered, _"Expecto Patronum!"_ As Harry's large corporeal stag Patronus floated all around the Great Hall before disappearing away, no one doubted the validity of Harry's statement except for Ronald Weasley since he was a jealous unthinking git.

"Ms. Granger! Did you enter your betrothed's name in the Goblet of Fire?" Dumbledore inquired with a deep frown.

Sensing a threat to their ward, Hermione's goblin guards immediately opened the door of the Great Hall. They were about to run towards her when she raised her hand and gestured for them to stop. Nodding at Hermione, the goblins halted but their eyes were scanning the entirety of the large room for any sign of danger.

Facing Dumbledore, Hermione closed her eyes to calm herself and pointed her wand to her throat. "I, Hermione Jean Granger, did not enter the name of my betrothed, Harry James Potter, into the Goblet of Fire. This, I swear on my life and magic. May the Spirit of Magic attest to my claim," Hermione said in a voice loud and clear. Raising her left hand, she showed everyone the ball of blue flames hovering on it.

"Thank you for your clarification, Ms. Granger. Now will Mr. Potter come over here please," Professor McGonagall broke the silence. She glared at Dumbledore to convey her displeasure at the headmaster's rash actions. The stern Transfiguration Mistress found herself doing that a lot ever since the news of her cubs' betrothal. Frankly, she couldn't understand why the headmaster was so upset at this wonderful news. Young Harry needed love in his life and Ms. Granger, her favorite student, could use someone to balance out her seriousness so she could learn to let loose and have fun. Those two were perfect for each other so she couldn't understand why the headmaster seemed upset at the news of their betrothal.

Harry walked to the staff table and when Professor McGonagall pointed to the anteroom, he smiled gratefully at his Head of House. Once inside, Viktor and Fleur looked at him with disdain. Harry sighed. It seemed that his competitors were out to get him because Fleur and Viktor fancied Hermione.

Feeling the awkward tension in the room, Professor McGonagall decided to nip it in the bud. "All of you heard Mr. Potter and his betrothed's magical oaths, so I expect no animosity due to his being selected as the fourth champion. He was entered into the tournament against his free will. Now if we can get to the bottom of this, is there a way for Mr. Potter to be removed from the roster of participants?" Her question was addressed to Ludo Bagman, Barty Crouch Sr., and the three heads of the competing schools.

"We can't do anything about it, Professor McGonagall. If Mr. Potter doesn't participate, he would lose his magic because the enchantments in the Goblet of Fire make each entry a binding oath," Barty Crouch Sr. explained.

"This is so exciting! The Boy Who Lived as the mysterious fourth champion!" Ludo Bagman exclaimed and everyone could see the dollar signs in his eyes.

"Let's carry on with the briefing then," Dumbledore muttered. He was astounded at what had happened again.

The meeting and the briefings were pretty much the same as the first time around. The only thing different was the glares Fleur and Viktor kept throwing at Harry. Also, Cedric Diggory's friendlier attitude was a happy surprise since the Hufflepuff champion treated him coolly before.

oOOOOo

Harry wasn't surprised to find Hermione waiting for him outside the anteroom. She was watched like a hawk by the two goblin guards standing a few meters away from her. He greeted her with a tired smile and she wrapped her arms around him to offer comfort. He sighed happily as he inhaled the sweet scent of vanilla, jasmine, and parchment from her wild curly hair. It was a scent that he always associated with peace and the comfort of home even in the past timeline. They reluctantly pulled apart when they heard a throat clearing.

"You are Her-mio-ninny Granger, correct?" Viktor Krum said in a suave voice.

"It's Hermione Granger," she replied politely but Harry could see the beginning of a frown.

"It's my pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady," Viktor gave Hermione his most winning smile but Harry could see that she was trying her best not to snort. Harry bit his lip to stop himself from laughing at Viktor's thick accent.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Krum," Hermione nodded.

"Call me, Viktor, da," he winked.

"Right. If you'll excuse us, Harry and I really need to go – "

" _Excusez-Moi,_ 'ermione," Fleur cut in.

"Yes, Miss? How can I help you?"

"Eez just I want to say you are very powerful, no?" Fleur fluttered her eyelashes. Any ordinary man or woman would have been on their knees singing love sonnets to the quarter-Veela but it didn't affect Harry and Hermione.

"Oh. Thank you, Miss – "

"Fleur. Fleur Delacour!" She flipped her platinum blonde hair.

"Right, nice meeting you Miss Delacour, Mr. Krum. You must excuse Harry and I. We're tired. See you around," before they could say anything else, Hermione dragged Harry's hand and hurriedly walked away from the two champions. Harry turned around and saw the angry look on Fleur and Viktor's faces. He knew that this wouldn't be their last encounter with Hermione's overly besotted admirers.

"Are they following us?" Hermione asked.

"Er, no. But the death glare I got from them would have weaker men cowering in fear," Harry replied.

"Can we go to the Room of Requirement for a while? I don't want to go to the Gryffindor Common Rooms yet," Hermione sighed.

"Of course, darling."

oOOOOo

Once inside the Room of Requirement, Harry and Hermione lounged on the couch feeling tired and exasperated because of the very long day they just had. Harry sat on the couch with Hermione's head on his lap. They were content to just enjoy the peace and quiet. Since there were so many things that happened today, they just needed some time to be together and think.

"Harry?"

"Hmmm?" Harry was busy twirling a ringlet of her hair around his finger. He was just enjoying the domesticity of the moment.

"Did something happen in the briefing or was everything the same as the previous timeline?"

"Pretty much the same. It's just Viktor and Fleur that's different. Oh, and Cedric is friendlier. But everything else is the same. Why?"

"Nothing. Just curious… So, when do you think Amelia Bones would finish perusing all the details about Sirius' case?" At the seriousness of her question, Harry stopped playing with her hair.

"I hope she'll finish soon, darling. Our letter and documented evidence, my parents' will and our memories of what happened at the Shrieking Shack, along with the backing of the goblins should help speed things along," he traced a finger to her button nose.

"Amelia Bones is a really good DMLE Head. I read her profile when I became the Head of the DMLE. She's one of the best – "

"Until you came along of course," he teased and she rolled her eyes.

"When do you think we'll be hearing from Umbitch and Fudge?" She asked.

"Soon enough, Hermione. Soon enough," Harry sighed.

"So… When do you wish to start training?", she changed the subject.

"How about during the afternoon? Free period tomorrow?"

"Hmmm… Good idea. Should we – do you think we should invite Neville to join us?"

"Well, we can invite him to join us but we can't give too much away. He might notice something odd about us," Harry remarked.

"That's true," she agreed.

"Do you think you need to talk to Avatar Aang right now? I mean – we were able to accomplish a lot and it's just our second night back," he mused.

"You're right… Besides, I do need to keep up my meditation," she sighed as she slowly got up from her comfy position.

"I'll wait for you here… Maybe I can read up on dragons or something. I don't want to use ' _Accio_ Firebolt' this time around, as effective as it was before," he snorted.

"You better get that bloody egg and live to tell the tale unscathed, Potter. I don't want a limping date for the Yule Ball. I intend to fully enjoy the dance this time around," she feigned stern.

"Yes, Ma'am," he winked.

Hermione playfully blew him a kiss which made him laugh. She sat on the floor in an Indian squat and closed her eyes. A few minutes later, she opened her eyes and the familiar white glow in them that Harry had seen when she's in the Avatar State was present once more. Hermione's hair was rippling with magic as she was surrounded by a ball of wind that's circled by rocks, rotating flames, and a wave of water.

Since Hermione's entry into the Avatar State was not caused by a sudden outpouring of emotion, Harry knew that she was alright. So, he asked the Room of Requirement for books about dragons. As he read a few chapters from the books, he made a very important discovery that would help him complete the first task quickly and with ease.

oOOOOo

At breakfast the next day, Harry and Hermione were so ecstatic to read the letters from Director Ragnok detailing the schedule of the basilisk carcass extraction that they didn't notice the frightened barn owl holding a red envelope in its talons. They also didn't see the wicked gleam in Ron's eyes as he looked at the red envelope. When the owl dropped it in front of the couple, the poor bird immediately flew away.

"Hermione Granger! You little tart – " the angry screams of one Molly Weasley that could be heard all around the Great Hall was halted when Hermione pointed her wand to cast a _Silencio_ and _Impervius_ charms on the offending howler. Her goblin guards who were just standing outside immediately ran to the direction of their ward upon hearing her name being bellowed.

"Avatar Hermione, what's the matter?" Sharpfang inquired.

"Just a silly howler from a mother who disagrees about my recent betrothal to Harry," Hermione replied.

"Do you know who sent it?" Riptooth asked.

"Molly Weasley, obviously. We know that loud screech from anywhere," Harry supplied.

"Would you please hand it over to us so we can send it to Gringotts for a thorough inspection? It could also serve as evidence should we find any foul play here," Sharpfang suggested. Hermione was about to hand the red envelope when Dumbledore attempted to summon it.

Luckily, Harry's auror reflexes kicked in and he cast a series of spells. First a _Protego_ around Hermione and himself, and then, an _Expelliarmus_ to disarm the headmaster. While Albus Dumbledore was a powerful wizard, he didn't have young Harry's speed. So, with that spell combo, Harry Potter disarmed Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

The Elder Wand was once again in Harry Potter's possession.

Feeling the strong pull of the magic from the wand and in his magical core, Harry smiled. He was the master of the Elder Wand again.

Dumbledore went pale as realization dawned on him. Harry Potter was now in control of the two Hallows, the Elder Wand and the Cloak of Invisibility. With Hermione Granger, his betrothed, as a ward of the Goblin Nation and the most powerful elemental mage he had ever seen, this young couple was too much of a threat to his envisioned balance in British Wizarding Society.

Standing straight, Harry turned to the headmaster. "Professor Dumbledore, may I remind you that the personal mail sent to your students is none of your business. With your attempt to summon the harmful letter addressed to my betrothed, Hermione Granger, who not only is a ward of the Goblin Nation but is also under the protection of the House of Potter as its future Lady, then I bid to have this investigated by the goblins. No one shall harm Hermione. Not if I can help it," Harry said sternly.

"Trust a _Potter_ to be this self-important," Snape drawled.

"Shut up, _Snivellus_. This is none of your business," Harry retorted and despite the tense situation, the students and even some of the staff chuckled at this.

"Why you insolent little – "

" _Expelliarmus,_ " Harry muttered and Snape's wand flew to his hand.

"Sharpfang, can you please take this _reformed_ Death Eater's wand to the custody of Chief Ragnok? That way, he along with Madam Amelia Bones can check for any dark spells this wizard planned to cast," Harry handed the wand over.

"I don't need a wand, I'm gonna strangle you – " before Snape could pounce on Harry, Hermione kicked the floor and he tripped at the sudden indent he stepped on. Since Hermione conjured a wall of scorching hot flames, the greasy-haired wizard almost got burned since he landed just a few inches away from the fire.

"Harry is protective of me but I'm also protective of him. Consider this a warning," Hermione said with a cold voice that sent chills down Snape's spine.

Wiser wizards would have noticed the serious threat coming from a very powerful person but Snape let his emotions rule him. He would never accept getting bested by a filthy little mudblood, the future wife to another cocky bastard Potter at that!

Fumbling around to search for his spare wand in the inner pocket of his robes, he poured out all his anger for Potter and his mudblood and yelled, "Avada – " before he could finish the words to the killing curse, Hermione only moved her hand as if to swat an annoying fly. This caused Snape's wand to fly away to the opposite side of the castle and it was now beyond his reach.

What happened next, surprised everyone except Harry.

Hermione's eyes glowed white, her hair rippling with raw power as she got surrounded by a ball made up of all four elements. She levitated a few feet from the ground and spoke in a voice that belonged to all the incarnations of the Avatar.

"Severus Snape, you have caused so much pain to the lives of people. First as a Death Eater, second as a petty potions teacher that destroyed the future of so many students who dreamed of being aurors and healers. You are a disgrace to the blessing of magic and for that, you shall pay the ultimate price," Hermione spoke in the unified voice of all her incarnations. She raised her hands bending the ground to follow her will which resulted in Snape getting locked on the floor with his arms and legs held together by four solid rocks – one for each limb.

Hermione landed and walked toward Snape. Dumbledore wanted to save his beloved spy but he found himself stuck. Looking down, he saw that his feet were locked in rocks too.

"Ms. Granger, this is the path to darkness – " his pleading was interrupted when he felt the magical focus of Hermione – no, this goddess or magical spirit – using her body to perform the most extraordinary feats of magic he had ever witnessed.

"Shut up, Dumbledore! You blocked Avatar Hermione from discovering her true powers. The spirit of magic will deal with you later. This is your final warning. Nobody messes with life, magic, and the spirits and gets away with it!" the Avatar incarnations spoke as one in a cold angry voice that made Dumbledore tremble in fear.

If you asked anyone who had witnessed the scene what happened after that, nobody could give you a straight answer. They could only remember a blinding light and Hermione Granger touching the forehead of a struggling Severus Snape. His screams of pain reminded witnesses of their worst nightmares. And then, minutes passed before the light finally dissipated. They then witnessed that Hermione Granger was normal again. There was no elemental ball surrounding her, and her eyes weren't glowing that eerie shade of white.

Severus Snape wobbled on his feet as he tried to get up but to no avail. "Wha – what did you do to me?" he asked in a voice so frail and weak.

No one who witnessed the scene would ever forget Hermione Granger's answer even if she spoke in her normal voice. "I took away your magic. That way, you can never use magic to harm anything or anyone ever again."

It was at this particular moment that Ronald Weasley, the stupid wizard who thought that Hermione Granger should be his, made a startling realization that would save his life. He promised to whatever spirit or god or whatever was out there that he would never ever cross Hermione Granger again. Harry fucking Potter or whoever was silly enough (or brave enough) to be with Hermione could have her. There was no bloody way that he would try anything on a witch that was some sort of elemental spirit goddess! Hearing Hermione speak in the unified tongues of the spirit within her was enough to make him cry and run for the hills. Yes, Ronald Weasley would never go near Hermione Granger ever again if he wanted to keep his life and magic.

Young Ginny Weasley was a whole lot smarter than her brother, Ronald. If he came to the conclusion that he should not cross Hermione Granger, then she had long arrived at the same line of thought at the first chilling sound of the spirits emanating from the curly-haired elemental witch. Yes, Ginny would move on and find some other wizard. Harry Potter, with all his wealth and fame, was just not worth losing her life and magic for.

While Ginny and Ron had already conceded, Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum were even more determined to have Hermione Granger as their life mate. They were both hoping that Harry Potter would die in the tournament. When that would happen, they'd swoop in and woo the most powerful magical being in the world. The fact that she was a subtle innocent beauty only accentuated her desirability in their eyes.

With the raw power Albus Dumbledore had seen from Hermione Granger today, he knew that the only way he could defeat her was through the use of politics. It was time to manipulate his puppet, Minister Cornelius Fudge, to do his bidding. He would revoke the Goblin arrangement and have Hermione Granger as his ward. And then, when she was under his wing, he would weaken her magic and stage an accident to explain her sudden death. Her level of power was just too dangerous. No one should have the ability to control such raw magical energy. Her existence was a threat to the entire wizarding world. It was time to make arrangements for her death. It was all for the Greater Good.

Barty Crouch Jr., the impersonator of Mad-Eye Moody, watched all that had happened with a sinister glint in his twitching eyes. The mudblood’s powers were beyond anything he had ever seen. Even his Master, powerful as he was even in his prime, was never able to do something like that. The little mudblood just removed the cowardly bastard Snape’s magic forever. His Master should be made aware of this very important detail. Potter’s alliance with the mudblood should be broken because his Master needed Potter killed. If the mudblood helped Potter then his Master would never succeed in killing the bloody Boy Who Wouldn’t Fucking Die. Barty had faith in his Master but even he knew that the Dark Lord wouldn’t stand a chance against the mudblood who was the embodiment of a spirit goddess. If she weren’t a mudblood, he would have eagerly switched his allegiance. But no! It’s a pity really that Lady Magic chose someone so filthy to be blessed with phenomenal elemental powers.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the Avatar Universe. Isn't it obvious? If I retire from HP fanfiction writing, I might move to Avatar fandom because of Appa, MoMo, and Team Avatar. 
> 
> There are readers out there that haven't seen the show but they gave this a whirl because it's Harry Potter fanfiction. Well, if you like the fantasy/adventure genre, you'll enjoy Avatar: The Last Airbender. I can't wait for the Netflix Live-Action remake. 
> 
> I see this story as a Book 1 and Book 2 kind of thing.  
> I guess it depends on how it wraps up in the end. I love the Avatar Universe so I'm enjoying the merge of all the folklore. 
> 
> As you know this fic features a very strong independent Hermione.  
> And it's March 1st y'all. It means that it's officially the start of Women's Month. 
> 
> Here's to all the single badass ladies, the strong career women, and the loving moms. Keep being true to yourself and stay awesome.


	4. In Power, Greed Only Harms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to God Save The Children.  
> Hi! How are ya? 
> 
> So I only have this chapter prepared for posting because the next one is pending the final beta seal of approval. 
> 
> After that, the waiting game gets real. 
> 
> Y'all have been calling Hermione badass here and I'm so happy! HAHA.  
> She IS badass here. I guess this fic truly is in time for women's month. 
> 
> I've been getting PMs and questions about this story and I'm like, "Oh shucks! I can't answer all of it without spoilers." 
> 
> So... Here you go. 
> 
> Chapters 6 - 8 (or maybe an additional 2 more, I don't know) are still in the works. It's in my head but my fingers don't want to type for God Save The Children. I've started writing this in January this year so it makes sense that my other WIPs are jealous. My other fics want more love so I might focus on them for a bit. Who knows? I follow where my muse takes me. 
> 
> Enough said. ENJOY!

** In Power, Greed Only Harms **

With all the people who witnessed Avatar Hermione's most powerful display of magic yet, the rumors easily spread throughout magical Britain through the various retellings in the students' letters for their parents. Since rumors spread like wildfire, the very next day the news about what happened during the announcement of champions reached the desk of various officials in the Ministry of Magic.

Susan Bones, the niece of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, wrote a very detailed letter to her aunt containing what had happened on October 31, 1994. Susan told her Aunt Amelia about Professor Dumbledore's unseemly reaction to the betrothal of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. She then expounded about Hermione's first display of elemental magic when their headmaster protested about the presence of her goblin guards. After that, the letter skipped to the announcement of the champions with Harry Potter as the unexpected and unwilling fourth. She discussed the reaction of Dumbledore once again, along with the magical oaths from the betrothed couple. When it came to the part where the Potions Professor, Severus Snape, attempted to cast the Killing Curse, Amelia was outraged.

"Bloody hell!" Amelia exclaimed. _What the fuck is going on at Hogwarts? Professors attacking students! Headmasters butting in on things he's got no business in!_

A few days ago, Amelia Bones received a confidential letter along with some evidence that would prove the innocence of her former subordinate, Auror Sirius Black. The Potter's will and the goblin authenticated memories from Harry Potter and his betrothed just corroborated Sirius' innocence. Upon investigation, the poor man wasn't even granted a trial. He was just thrown into Azkaban and left there to rot without the chance to clear his name.

She knew that she needed to make a reply to young Mr. Potter's request soon but she wanted to know more details as to why Sirius, as the apparent Lord Black, a prominent figure in their society wasn't granted a trial. _Even that vile bitch, Bellatrix Lestrange got a trial and everyone knew she's guilty!_ She already met with Director Ragnok yesterday in a secret meeting wherein they talked about the potential angles to all that had happened in Harry Potter's life.

Both of them had only one conclusion. Someone wanted Mr. Potter isolated and uncared for. Knowing Sirius, the fun-loving wizard would've spoilt his godson rotten. So, the only way to isolate the Boy Who Lived was to separate him from his supposed legal guardian.

There was only one person who'd have a motive for doing all this – Albus Dumbledore. Who else could it be? After all, the old wizard was the de facto magical guardian of Harry Potter.

It was time to bring all her findings to Minister Fudge. She only hoped that he was sober today. Cornelius Fudge used to be a very credible and just leader in his youth. In fact, she had admired the wizard. Now though, he seemed to be operating like he had two personalities. On one side, he was the same Cornelius she looked up to. And then there was the darker side of him, the one that was easily manipulated by Lucius Malfoy, Dolores Umbridge, and Albus Dumbledore. While his two-fold personality was odd, she reckoned it was just being enamored by power that caused it. With so many things happening at Hogwarts, she could only hope that it's the good Cornelius she would be facing today.

With the Head of Slytherin no longer a wizard and held in custody by the goblins for attempting to cast the killing curse on the ward of the Chief of the Goblin Nation, the minister should have a clear head today. If not, then they might just face another goblin rebellion. Per her niece's letter, Hermione Granger, the betrothed of the Boy Who Lived, was a formidable witch that should never be taken lightly. Along with the recent evidence she had received and perused, it seemed that she would have to file a vote of no confidence against Albus Dumbledore, a wizard supposed to be as great as Merlin himself. _What a long day ahead,_ she sighed as she left her office to visit the minister.

oOOOOo

"My dear Amelia, what can I do for you this fine morning?" Cornelius Fudge greeted the Head of the DMLE.

"Good morning, minister. Do you have an hour at the very least? I have something very important to tell you." Amelia Bones said in a no-nonsense voice.

"Of course, Amelia. Please have a seat." Cornelius pointed to the empty chairs.

"Thank you, minister – "

"Cornelius, please."

"Cornelius, do you mind if we cast privacy charms? The topic at hand is very controversial but it involves high-profile people…"

"Of course, my dear. Please wait a second." The minister removed the ward stone of his office from one of the drawers. Tracing his wand on the privacy rune, the Office of the Minister for Magic was now impenetrable.

"Thank you, Cornelius… First of all, can I borrow a pensieve? I have a memory here, authenticated by the Goblin Chief, along with some other legal documents… Evidence for a case of injustice that I feel we must rectify." Amelia explained calmly. She was observing the minister and she felt that he seemed to be his normal self, the good Cornelius.

"I suppose we should watch the memories first before I ask any questions." Cornelius flicked his wand to summon a pensieve and set it on his desk. Amelia carefully removed the vial of memories from her robes and dropped it on the runic bowl. As the memory swirled inside, she gestured for the minister to check the memories for himself.

"Aren't you going in, Amelia?"

"I've already viewed them, Cornelius."

"Alright… Please sit down as I dive into this memory. I hope you're ready to answer my questions." Cornelius said before dipping his face into the bowl.

oOOOOo

"Amelia… Is all of this true?" Cornelius Fudge was dumbfounded as he slowly sat back on his armchair. Everything that he'd seen in the memory would change so many paradigms in the British Wizarding World. He feared that his ministry wouldn't survive it. He noticed something odd though. He couldn't remember ever being at Hogwarts during Mr. Potter's third year.

"Yes, Cornelius. Everything you've seen is all true… I have one question though. Why didn't you tell me that you visited Hogwarts during this fiasco?" Amelia tried to control the accusation in her voice. She was very invested in this case not only because it was brought up by Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. What made this case very important to her was the fact that this could prove Sirius Black's innocence, thereby granting him freedom. If Sirius would be set free, then maybe she could find her happiness with him. Maybe they could pick up where they left off. If not, then at least her dear friend (and the man she once loved) could finally leave the horror that was Azkaban.

"I – I don't know, Amelia. Honest! I don't even remember ever going to Hogwarts at that time to have Black kissed. Everything is all hazy now." The minister massaged his temple.

Amelia noticed the tired and stressed demeanor on Cornelius' face when she saw him pull out a box from one of the drawers. She waited to see what was inside the shiny round metal box. The minister was about to pop a yellow-colored candy into his mouth so she decided to satisfy her curiosity, "Cornelius what is that?"

"Oh! These are lemon drops. Albus sends me a box every week. It's so kind of him really since these candies keep me calm and energized." Cornelius said happily.

"Do you mind if I conduct some diagnostic spells on it? Just to confirm its components." Amelia offered.

"Amelia! Do you honestly think that the Chief Warlock will give me something shady?" He gave her an incredulous look.

"Well do you even know what these candies are made of?" she challenged.

"Well, no… Not really. Oh, alright then! Go do the test." The minister acquiesced.

Amelia pulled the box closer to her side of the desk and she conducted basic diagnostic tests on it. After a minute, the results were in as the lemon drops flashed in various colors that meant something hazardous had been added to them.

"Cornelius, I propose that you see a goblin healer now. Those lemon drops are dosed with some sort of loyalty potion along with many other mind control formulas that I can't name… Please, Cornelius, you must see a healer now." Amelia pleaded with her boss. Now she understood the twisted personality the minister displayed during various encounters.

"I trust you, Amelia. But what should we do about all this? How could we incriminate Albus? He's everyone's hero, well aside from the Boy Who Lived that is." The minister sighed in defeat.

"I'm gathering evidence to have the Chief Warlock removed from the Wizengamot at the very least… It seems to me that he's been meddling in the affairs of one Harry Potter and even that of Sirius Black."

"Alright, Amelia. Lead the way." Cornelius Fudge stood from his seat and exited his office. Giving last-minute instructions to his personal assistant, he left the ministry feeling anxious about the result of his tests.

oOOOOo

Just like the rest of Wizarding Britain had contacts with the students at Hogwarts, Dolores Umbridge had also heard of the rumors of an uppity mudblood who was betrothed to the half-blood Boy Who Lived. It was even said that the mudblood had managed to remove the Head of Slytherin's magic. To Dolores, that was unacceptable! A mudblood removing her professor's magic! That's uncalled for. She wanted to have the mudblood executed on sight along with her filthy muggle parents but her hands were tied. The mudblood was a ward of the Goblin Nation. As a pureblood, she knew that one should never mess with the goblins, especially their barbaric chief, Ragnok.

Dolores needed a plan. She needed to remove this mudblood's taint from Hogwarts and the rest of the wizarding world. While she would never believe that a mudblood was capable of that level of power, this Hermione Granger was still a threat that should be eliminated immediately.

So, with a determined stride and her chin held high, she walked towards the Office of the Minister. To her utter disappointment, Cornelius had already left the ministry with the headstrong and incorruptible Amelia Bones.

 _I guess I should check with Lucius then… He has young Draco at Hogwarts. That way, I can get more information about this mudblood and determine if the rumors of her extraordinary powers are indeed true._ Dolores walked back to her office thinking of possible plans to take down the mudblood filth and wrote a letter to Lucius Malfoy.

oOOOOo

After all that had happened last night, Hermione Granger wasn't able to sleep. As soon as Snape collapsed on his feet, her goblin guards had handcuffed him so he could be taken to a goblin prison. Since Snape attempted to cast a killing curse on their ward, goblin law superseded the Ministry's.

Of course, the headmaster tried to intervene and argue Snape's case but her goblin guards were adamant. She and Harry were escorted out of Hogwarts after the entire fiasco. With everything that happened, she was thankful that her guards were so concerned for her well-being. She needed time to be away from Hogwarts so she could think.

Removing Snape's magic using energy bending was one of the special abilities she had learned during her first immersion in the Avatar State. Energy bending was the origin of magic.

Long ago, when the world was divided into four large bodies of land each controlled by a Lion Turtle, a large animal that had rich soil on its back, these magical creatures had the ability to select citizens that would be gifted by the power of bending an element. These citizens who were blessed by the Lion Turtles were the first witches and wizards. When the spirit of Vaatu was creating mayhem all over the world, Wan sought the favor of the spirits and the four Lion Turtles so that he would be gifted with the power to bend fire, air, water, and earth. Because he was deemed worthy, Wan became the first Avatar, the only one who could bend all the elements which were only strengthened when Raava's spirit merged with him.

As humans became greedier and greedier, the spirits were disappointed with the race they selected to bless. When the spirits returned to their own world, the spirits of the Lion Turtles left as well. Thus, the landscape of the Earth changed through time to the world we now live in.

It was only the spirit of Raava that remained on Earth because of the Avatar incarnations. Raava chose to stay with the Avatar because the spirit of Vaatu was locked somewhere on Earth. To prevent his escape, the spirit of light and peace stayed with her truest friend, the Avatar.

As the years passed when the spirits left the Earth, bending no longer came from the Lion Turtles. Instead, it got passed on randomly either from parental heritage or a random blessing nobody knew. Since elemental wandless magic – bending – took so many years to master, a group of magicals decided to try creating a focus item. Something they could use to channel their magic on. Thus, the first wand was created.

With a wand, what seemed like impossible to do, now became possible and accessible for all benders. A fire bender could now conjure water. A water bender could now make flames. And so, all benders forgot the origin of magic. Nobody opted to master their inborn elemental affinity but instead, focused their efforts in pursuit of wand magic. Only the Avatar continued with the practice of elemental bending.

Severus Snape was the first person in so many years to have his magic removed through energy bending. It was a great risk to Hermione because one who performed energy bending could be corrupted by the person they sought to remove abilities from. Since it was her first attempt ever, she was scared. With the help of all the incarnations of the Avatar though, she was able to conquer Snape's magic and successfully convert him into a muggle.

Hermione sighed as she thought about all that had happened recently. After a quick meeting with Director Ragnok, she and Harry were then escorted to her home in Crawley. Seeing her parents again, after all these years, was the only bright spot of all the events that happened last night…

oOOOOo

" _Avatar Hermione, Mr. Potter, please hold on to this rope so that we can all arrive at your parents' backyard in Crawley." Riptooth handed them a rope._

" _We're going to see my parents?" She was so excited._

" _Yes. The Director believes you should spend the evening or even a few more days with your parents. We will be escorting you of course. Just to make sure you'll be alright. The wards will have to be adjusted so that it's keyed to you, we have it keyed to a goblin guard for now." Sharpfang explained._

" _There is a goblin guard on my parents' home?" Hermione was shocked._

" _Yes, Avatar Hermione."_

" _Wow! Thank you so much, Riptooth, Sharpfang. You don't know how much that means to me."_

" _It is our honor." Sharpfang and Riptooth chorused with a respectful bow that Hermione and Harry eagerly returned._

" _Everyone grab on tight. We'll be portkeying now." And with that, they were on their way._

_As soon as they landed in the Grangers backyard, Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and ran to the back door. Knocking frantically while calling out for her parents, Emma and Dan Granger hurried to answer the call._

" _Hermione? Darling! What are you doing here?" Emma had a big grin on her face as she hugged her daughter._

" _I miss you, mum." Hermione savored the feeling of being in her mother's arms again. After that, she hugged her father tightly as well. As the reunited Grangers composed themselves, Hermione remembered they had company._

" _Mum, Dad, let me introduce to you, Harry James Potter, my betrothed – "_

" _Your what?!" Dan exclaimed._

" _Daddy! Please calm down. We will be explaining everything."_

" _Fine! I'll listen first before I blow up," her father said grumpily._

_Clearing his throat, Harry said, "Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Granger. I'm Harry Potter." He extended his hand and Emma shook it first followed by Dan._

" _Mum, Dad, these are my honor guards. Sharpfang and Riptooth. They keep me safe," Hermione turned to their companions. The goblin guards respectfully bowed to the Granger parents._

" _Hello, sirs! You must be thirsty. Please come inside," Emma beckoned the goblins inside._

" _Yes, please do. It is a pleasure to have you here. Do tell us if you need anything. It's the least we could do for all that you're doing for our daughter." Dan seconded._

" _Thank you Mr. and Mrs. – "_

" _Please call us Emma and Dan. You too, Harry." Emma smiled at her daughter's boyfriend._

_Everyone stepped inside the house and Emma led them to the living room. Harry and Hermione sat beside each other while the goblins insisted that they stand guard on each side. Emma was about to stand so she could make tea when Dobby popped in. The Granger parents yelped in surprise._

" _Dobby is sorry, Mister and Missus Grangy. Dobby just wants to make tea for Harry Potter and his Grangies and his Grangy's goblin guards." Dobby bowed._

" _Oh… Um, of course. Do you need any help in the kitchen?" Emma asked._

" _No, Missus Grangy! Dobby be knowing what to do! Dobby is a good house-elf!" Dobby said with pride._

" _Thank you for all your help, Dobby." Hermione grinned._

" _You're the best, Dobby." Harry agreed. Dobby was so pleased with being praised that he bounced to the kitchen._

" _He's so cute and friendly," Emma gushed._

" _So, Hermione, would you care to explain about your betrothal? When the goblin warders came to our house on Monday morning, we were surprised at the offer but we gratefully accepted the protection. They didn't tell us about any attachment between you and Harry though… Also, aren't you too young to enter into such an engagement? And more importantly, I – I mean we, haven't even scrutinized this young man yet." Dan said in all seriousness._

" _Daddy! Be nice," Hermione pouted._

" _Well? Harry, do you want to say something?" Dan prodded._

" _Sir, I love your daughter. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me. She's my best friend. She's my voice of reason. And I would never deliberately do anything that could hurt her… I might do stupid things, like forget to put down the toilet seat and those kinds of things, but I promise to always love her. I will always be there for her. I will support her, take care of her, all the days of my life… I know I'm not worthy of her, I think no one else could ever be really, because she's brilliant and kind and beautiful and a million other things… But I need her in my life, sir. And she's silly enough to accept me in hers. I guess what I'm really trying to say is, there's no one else for me but her. I hope you will give us your blessing." Harry's emotional speech made the Granger women teary-eyed._

" _That's a good answer, son. Welcome to the family," Dan gave Harry a sincere smile._

_Hermione squealed as she stood up and tackled her father in a warm hug. "In as much as it pains me to accept this, princess, I could not have parted with you to anyone else as worthy." Dan was teary-eyed as his daughter released him._

" _Oh my! Hermione! Your ring is gorgeous!" Emma exclaimed as she saw the ring on her daughter's finger._

" _Harry's grandmother was the last person who wore this ring. It's a family heirloom." Hermione smiled as she held out her hand so that her mother could see it better._

" _Well… Your grandfather has excellent taste in rings, Harry." Emma remarked._

" _Oh, er, I'm not sure of its origin but my grandmother was the last wearer," Harry replied._

" _Why don't you go sit beside Harry, darling, and you explain to us the real reason why you now have goblin guards, our house is warded, and for your sudden betrothal." Emma gestured to the space beside Harry._

_Dobby popped in again with some tea and biscuits. He was about to pop away when Harry stopped him. "Dobby, we want you to join us. You're part of the family now."_

" _Thank you, Harry." A happy Dobby squatted on the floor._

" _Why don't you sit on the couch, Dobby?" Hermione pointed to the empty armchair._

" _That's too much for Dobby, Miss," Dobby said shyly so he conjured a seat for himself._

" _So? Darling, tell us all that we should know?" With that question, Harry and Hermione explained the reason for their betrothal, the potions, and the reason why the goblins took her in as their ward. It was a long discussion but at least the Granger parents now understood the important details._

oOOOOo

Hermione checked the time and she noticed it was still too early. It was just five in the morning. She had spent five hours meditating after the long conversation they had with her parents. While entering the Avatar State, she met Avatar Nezral, the last incarnation before her. Nezral was a natural earth bender who served as the Avatar from May 9, 1865, until his death on September 19, 1979. During their discussion, he told her about what to expect as she fulfilled her duties in a world where wand magic was the most popular medium of expressing one's powers.

Because of their discussion, Hermione realized that if she desired to pursue a career in politics once again, it would be an inefficient use of her Avatar powers. So, she could not become the Minister for Magic this time around. Instead, she was determined to follow Avatar Aang's example after he ended the Hundred Years War. Aang built a community of Airbenders so that the practice of the ancient art would flourish once again. With this idea, she planned to emulate Aang's legacy but instead of just building a community for Airbenders, she planned to teach the ancient ways of fire bending, air bending, water bending, and earth bending so that the original form of magic could be widely established once again.

With that vision in mind, Hermione Granger promised that this time around she would be an educator. She already spent her first life as a politician anyway. Proud as she may be of her legacy in the past, she believed that as the Avatar, she must restore the ancient practice of magic – bending.

 _Remember Aang's last words, Hermione. God save the children,_ she thought. With that inspiration, along with the drive to prevent the birth of Rose Granger-Weasley this time around, she went downstairs so she could practice her bending techniques.

 _Thank Merlin for the goblin wards,_ she thought as she started her breathing exercises. As a natural Firebender, the rising of the sun made her more powerful. Thinking about this, she realized that it's the reason why she had always been a morning person.

oOOOOo

Harry Potter woke up in a comfy bed and an unfamiliar room. _Right! I'm at Hermione's parents' house._ Even from this side of the bed, he could hear noise from his window. So, he groggily got out of bed to check it out.

He gasped when he saw Hermione practicing her elemental bending. He had never seen her do this before, she was producing lightning! She was doing an exercise that alternately produced blue flames and lightning. _Merlin! What other powers does the Avatar possess?_

He hurriedly went to the ensuite bathroom so he could brush his teeth and freshen up. Since he was determined to learn about air bending, he decided to join his fiancée as she trained.

Because Hermione was so focused on her training, she didn't notice his presence. Harry respectfully bowed to the goblin guards watching their ward from a distance. Riptooth and Sharpfang returned his gesture.

Hermione was doing the Dancing Dragon now as scorching hot flames blaze from her hands and limbs with every agile move she made. He was familiar with this one since he could remember her doing this with Aang in the in-between. He eagerly waited for the last part – her roaring with fire. When that happened, they heard a startled scream.

Quick as a flash, Harry immediately had his wand at the ready and looked for the imminent threat. To his surprise, it was just Emma and Dan watching their daughter train.

"Mum? Dad? Is everything alright?" Hermione asked with worry after she hurriedly vanished the flames.

"We're sorry to disturb you, darling. We're just surprised that's all. That was amazing! And so scary! You know that we've never seen you do magic before so seeing you roaring with fire, that's just – "

"I'm sorry, mum, dad. I guess I never thought of it that way. I'm sorry for waking you all up, you too Harry." Hermione said sheepishly.

"Good morning, Hermione." Harry leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "Good morning Emma, Dan," he greeted her parents politely.

"Good morning, Harry, Riptooth, Sharpfang," Emma said. The goblins bowed to her before putting on their warrior face again.

"So… Could you do that too, Harry?" Dan was curious.

"Oh no, sir! It's only Hermione who could do that… And magicals with affinity to fire bending of course, but as of now, she's the only person in the world who could do that." He said with pride and his fiancée blushed.

"Well, this is a shock since we've never seen you do magic anymore, darling… Although, now that I've seen you breathe fire, I do remember you setting veggies on fire as a little girl." Emma chuckled.

"Avatar Hermione, I would be so honored if you would take me in as your apprentice while I learn the ancient art of air bending," Harry said gallantly but there was a cheeky grin on his face.

"Of course, you goofball!" Hermione pinched his cheek.

"Thank you." Harry grinned.

"Could you give us a summary of all your powers, sweetie? That way we won't yelp in surprise when we see you do it." Dan said pensively.

"Oh… Er, okay… Maybe you should sit over there…" Hermione pointed to a bench. Harry joined the Grangers as they waited for the show.

"Okay… So, you've already seen fire bending," Hermione grinned and they nodded. "Fire benders can master two other special skills, we have bending and redirecting lightning. I can show you how to bend lightning but as for redirecting it, I can't since it's just a defensive skill. Basically, if I get hit by lightning, I can contain it and have it focused on something else so I won't get hurt… Er, any questions?"

"Can you show us?" Dan was very excited.

Hermione stretched her right hand and moved it in a circular motion before she pushed it forward, causing a small lightning bolt to form on her fingers. She pointed her fingers on the grass and the lightning bolt created a small hole in the soil.

"Okay so apparently my daughter is like _Zeus_ ," Emma remarked.

"Mum!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Sorry, please continue…"

"This is water bending," she waved her hand in a slow gliding motion and the pool water rose higher. When she lowered her hand, the water immediately went still. "Water benders could also be gifted with healing abilities."

"Now for earth bending, it looks like this." She kicked her foot and made a pulling motion with both hands and the hole she created from the lightning bolt was immediately covered in new soil. "A variation of earth bending is sand bending and metal bending, both techniques are harder to master," she added.

"The last one is air bending. Harry can learn this too because he has an affinity for it." Hermione then demonstrated through an air scooter as she moved in circles on the grass.

"That is so amazing!" Dan and Emma chorused.

"Air benders can also fly with the use of a glider. I have to find time to – "

"Air benders could bloody fly and you didn't tell me?" Harry was bouncing with excitement and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, love. What with all the excitement, I forgot to tell you this tiny little detail." She snorted.

"Sorry," Harry blushed but then he pouted, "you will make me a glider too, right?"

"Of course," she smiled.

"This is weird, a good kind of weird, but still weird… My daughter has superhero powers!" Dan was gobsmacked.

"Not a superhero, Dan… She's more like a spirit goddess," Harry grinned with pride.

"Any more powers that we should know of darling?" Emma asked gently.

"Er, there is blood bending and energy bending, but I – I don't want to talk about it," Hermione muttered.

"We understand, darling… You kids be careful while you train, alright? I'll go cook – " Emma was interrupted by a loud pop.

"Dobby be already making breakfast, Mrs. Grangy mum!" Dobby announced with excitement.

"Thank you, Dobby!" The Grangers and Harry chorused, making the house-elf puff out his little chest in pride. When Dobby popped away to continue making breakfast, Dan and Emma grinned. They could get used to all of this.

"So… What should I learn first?" Harry stood from his seat and approached Hermione.

"Let's start with meditation… Since air benders are very calm people who are well-versed in defensive magic, I reckon we should start with that. Is that okay?" Hermione seemed slightly apprehensive and Harry understood. He could be rather impatient sometimes.

"Whatever you say, darling." He winked at her and she shook her head in fond exasperation. Hermione then proceeded to teach him some meditative poses and the hand gesture for making a gust of wind.

oOOOOo

Cornelius Fudge and Amelia Bones had a very long day. As soon as they arrived at Gringotts and sought sanctuary with the goblin healers, all the revelations from his health scans had the Minister of Magic gobsmacked. It turned out that Cornelius' failing mental health condition was worsened by the lemon drops his 'dear friend' Albus had been supplying him. He now had to take a special variant of flushing potions three times a day for the entire week. Also, what only used to be chronic stress due to the pressure of being the minister had already developed into something worse because of his dependency on the potion-dosed candies.

The meeting they had with the Director of the Goblin Nation truly shocked the minister at the manipulations that their beloved hero, Harry Potter, had endured. Also, the lack of a trial for Sirius Black, an heir to an Ancient and Noble House was indeed very troublesome. The fact that Albus had gone to extreme lengths to conceal what happened during Harry's third year was also very alarming.

They also learned important facts about Hermione Granger, the ward of the Chief of the Goblin Nation. Since Ms. Granger was a very special witch with her elemental powers (aside from the fact that she's the betrothed of the Boy Who Lived), she must be protected as well. It seemed that Albus had an unhealthy interest in the extraordinary muggleborn witch too.

So, despite how tired they both were from all the revelations, they decided to visit the Granger house so they could talk to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. It was very important for them to try and fix the mess that Albus Dumbledore had created.

oOOOOo

Amelia Bones and Cornelius Fudge already knew that the Granger home in Crawley was protected by the strongest goblin wards per Director Ragnok's information. They were thankful that the Goblin Chief was kind enough to provide them a portkey. Still, the portkey took them a couple of blocks away from the Grangers home.

As soon as they landed in the hidden alley, one goblin guard suddenly appeared.

"Are you Minister Fudge and Madam Bones?" The goblin said gruffly.

"Yes, sir," Amelia replied.

"Take my hand. I'll take you inside the Grangers' wards. This is the only way for a witch or wizard to be able to enter Avatar Hermione's home. Her house has the most secure wards that Gringotts has ever built. All the best for the living incarnation of the spirit of magic." The goblin said with pride.

"Thank you, sir," Cornelius said as they each held a strong calloused hand. With a quiet pop, they disappeared.

oOOOOo

Cornelius and Amelia landed in front of a beautiful home. They were quiet as they glanced over the surroundings. There were two things they noticed. One, the Grangers were clearly well-off. Two, this family was a close-knit one because their house emitted a feeling of warmth and comfort. Both Amelia and Cornelius thought that Harry Potter was in good hands for choosing to be a part of the Granger family.

The goblin knocked three times before the door was opened. To their surprise, it was a house-elf that answered the door.

"Good evening Madam Bonesy, Minister Fudgey. Mr. Harry Potter and his Ms. Grangy be waiting for you inside. Ms. Grangy's parents also be waiting for you." The excitable house-elf greeted them.

"Thank you." They chorused.

"Follow me, please." The house-elf said and they were led to a family room that had two large bookshelves filled to the brim.

The goblin who fetched them immediately walked towards the other end of the couch where four people sat. Another goblin guard was standing on the opposite end.

"Good evening, Minister Fudge, Madam Bones." Harry greeted formally; his arm was protectively wrapped around his betrothed's shoulder.

"Good evening Minister, Director," Hermione said.

"Hello, Sir, Ma'am. Welcome to our home. Please take a seat." The older version of Harry Potter's betrothed gestured to the armchairs across from the couch they occupied.

"Thank you." Amelia was the first to recover and Fudge nodded. He was still astounded with all the revelations he learned today. When they each sat on an armchair, the house-elf popped in with tea and biscuits he placed on the center table.

"Thanks, Dobby." The family chorused with a smile. The house-elf was about to pop away when Hermione said, "family rules, Dobby."

"Of course, Ms. Grangy," the house-elf conjured a stool for himself and he sat beside his family.

"So… What can we do for you, Minister, Madam Director?" Harry asked.

"Mr. Potter – " Amelia started to say but was interrupted by the raven-haired wizard.

"Please call me, Harry, Madam Bones… Oh, where are my manners! It's my pleasure to introduce my betrothed, Hermione Granger. And these are her parents, Dan and Emma."

"Nice to meet you all, thank you for letting us disturb your evening… We've heard that you've been through a lot yesterday. Especially you two." The minister finally managed to have his brain cells working.

"Oh, yes… Luckily though, the goblins were quick to support us. May I introduce my goblin friends, the warriors who protect me, Sharpfang and Riptooth." Hermione introduced with a kind smile to her guards. The goblins only bowed at the guests.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, we have two things that we wish to discuss… One, about Sirius Black. Two, about you, Ms. Granger. We are curious about your extraordinary powers not because we want to hurt you, but we want to help in protecting you," Minister Fudge explained.

"Please call us Harry and Hermione, sir," Hermione said and Harry nodded.

"Harry, I received your evidence regarding Sirius. I've also talked to Director Ragnok about it. Also, I have already shown all the evidence to the Minister and we discovered some anomalies… It seems that he was obliviated. Cornelius doesn't remember his visit to Hogwarts during the incident of Sirius' near kiss from a Dementor. So, we went to Gringotts to have him checked and it turns out, aside from the obliviation, Dumbledore has been feeding him lemon drops dosed with potions that weaken his resolve against manipulations… Anyway, long story short, we have a big case here. And that's just the icing on the cake… So, we want to know, do you have any means to contact Sirius? We are willing to offer him sanctuary." Amelia expounded.

"Dobby, do you – "

"Dobby can be popping to Harry Potter's dogfather! Dobby be going now!" With a snap of his fingers, the house-elf disappeared.

"I love house-elves! Are they all like that?" Emma asked.

"Dobby is extra special, mum. He's the best house-elf ever."

"I agree, darling… I agree." Harry pulled Hermione closer to him.

oOOOOo

Meanwhile, Dolores Umbridge was at the private study of Lucius Malfoy toasting their impending success. Per Lucius' insider information, the mudblood and Harry Potter left Hogwarts after she allegedly took away the Potions Professor's magic. The couple was expected to stay at the mudblood's parents' home in Crawley.

With Dolores' high-ranking position in the ministry and Lucius' palm-greasing galleons, they easily obtained the address of Hermione Granger.

The plan was simple. Send the dementors to attack the mudblood's home late at night when their entire family would be asleep. All of the occupants in the house full of filth would be kissed by the dementors. Problem solved.

Dolores and Lucius glanced at the grandfather clock. Seeing the time, they had sinister grins on their faces. In less than two hours, Hermione Granger, her muggle filth parents, and Harry Potter would be empty soul-less husks.

 _Purebloods will always be in power,_ Dolores thought with a smug sense of entitlement.

 _Money is the real power;_ Lucius Malfoy couldn't wait to read the headline tomorrow that would announce the tragic fate of the Boy Who Lived and his pet mudblood.

oOOOOo

"Who are you?" Sirius Black pointed his smuggled wand at the house-elf that appeared in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Harry Potter's dogfather! I is Dobby, Harry Potter, and his Ms. Grangy's house-elf! I be fetching Harry Potter's dogfather! Harry Potter be needing his dogfather!" Dobby explained.

"Oh… Can you wait a sec? I'll call Remus. He's friends with Harry too," Sirius said.

"Dobby be knowing Professor Wolfie! Dobby be taking you both!" Dobby nodded eagerly.

"Moony! Get your hairy arse in here!" Sirius called out.

"Shut up, Padfoot! What the hell?!" Remus exclaimed as he saw the house-elf.

"Do – Dobby?" Remus asked.

"Hello, Professor Wolfie!" Dobby greeted happily and Sirius laughed.

"Har-har! Very funny, Padfoot," Remus huffed.

"Moony, Dobby over here is Harry and Hermione's house-elf. He says that Harry needs us – "

"Harry and Hermione? As in like, together?" Remus confirmed.

"Harry Potter sir and Ms. Grangy be mates now!" Dobby clapped his hands.

"Alright! Way to go, pup!" Sirius said with pride.

"Can you take both of us to see them, Dobby?" Remus inquired gently.

"Yes, Professor Wolfie! When Dobby bonded with Harry Potter, sir, Dobby be more powerful. Harry Potter be powerful wizard but his Ms. Grangy is goddess of magic!" Dobby grinned. The marauders chuckled at that. Harry already knew that to have a happy relationship, you must always let your witch get whatever it was that she wanted. That's how they interpreted Dobby's statement anyway.

"Well, Moony? Are you ready to go?" Sirius asked. When Remus nodded, he turned to Dobby, "we're ready to see Harry and Hermione, Dobby."

"Dogfather and Professor Wolfie take Dobby's hand," the house-elf held out his skinny hand and the Marauders grabbed hold.

oOOOOo

Sirius was horrified when he saw the Minister for Magic sitting in an armchair. When he saw Amelia Bones, the love of his life, he was gobsmacked. Despite the elation he felt upon seeing her again, he was anxious.

"Harry? What the hell is going on?" Sirius asked.

Before Harry could answer, it was Amelia who replied. "Sirius, the Minister for Magic can give you an immediate pardon should you prove your innocence tonight through veritaserum."

"Amy – is that – is that even possible?" He was hopeful but there was still disbelief lingering on his mind.

"Please, Sirius… Trust me." The longing look on Amelia's face wasn't lost on anyone.

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. They never knew that Sirius and Amelia Bones had a history together. With the way they were looking at each other, the betrothed couple could immediately tell that Sirius and Amelia had a very strong connection.

Sirius sighed. After all these years, Amy Bones still had his heart. "I have always trusted you, Amy…"

"Open your mouth, Sirius." Amelia walked closer to the fugitive wizard and removed the cork on the vial of _veritaserum_ on her purse. She was about to dose him with droplets when they all suddenly felt cold and lonely.

"Shit! Dementors!" Harry exclaimed. He was about to cast a _Patronus_ when Hermione stopped him.

"I'll handle this, Harry." She gently swatted his hand away.

Hermione headed outside trailed by the curious group to find three Dementors.

Everyone gasped in surprise when Hermione levitated in the air with her eyes glowing an eerie shade of white. Her hair was rippling with magical energy and she was surrounded by a ball of wind, rocks, fire, and water.

"The incarnation of Raava commands the broken spirit of Koh the Face Stealer to speak!" Hermione's voice was the unified chorus of all the past avatars.

To everyone's surprise, the dementors bowed down to the Avatar. Sirius and Remus muttered an expletive since this was something they had never expected to see. While Cornelius and Amelia had already been informed by Director Ragnok of the extraordinary powers of Hermione Granger, they were still slack-jawed at the sight before them.

Emma and Dan thought that seeing their daughter roar fire and produce lightning was the pinnacle of her power. But this! This was entirely beyond anything they could ever imagine. They now understood why Harry called their daughter a spirit goddess.

All magicals present in the room were shocked to hear the combined voices of the dementors. This was the first time ever that a dementor's voice could be heard and understood. The only thing they knew about dementors was that they could take away all of a person's happiness and they could suck out a person's soul.

"My dear Raava, I was tricked many many years ago by a magical mortal. She lured me away from the spirit world promising me the faces of evildoers. Instead, she bound my spirit to the mortal world to have me suck out the souls of her enemies… As time passed, I got broken and broken until all that's left of me is the pieces of my soul that inhabit what these mortals call Dementors. Help me, Mighty Raava! I need to go back to the Spirit World." Koh pleaded. Koh was the once known Face Stealer, a spirit who enjoyed speaking to humans in order to help the deserving and punish the cruel ones by taking away their faces.

"The souls you have taken, where do they go?" Avatar Hermione asked in a stern voice.

"To judgment in the afterlife, Mighty Raava. That is why the soulless bodies wither away in just a few days."

"Have you ever sucked the soul of an innocent?"

"Mighty Raava – "

"Answer me!" Avatar Hermione screamed with venom.

"Yes! But that was many many years ago when I was under the control of that Vile Witch, Morgana Le Fey!" Koh admitted.

"I see… Why haven't you made any effort to return to the spirit world?" The Avatar was much calmer this time.

"We're stuck in Britain. And the previous incarnations of the Avatar weren't from here… Please, Mighty Raava! Relieve me of this burden… I need to go back." Koh's voice was filled with anguish.

"Who sent you to attack this house?"

"The Undersecretary of the British Minister for Magic, Dolores Umbridge."

"How many dementors are in existence?"

"There are around five hundred broken pieces of me, Mighty Raava."

"Come closer… I will grant your wish to return to the Spirit World. But – I demand you must promise me something!" The Avatar said sternly.

"Anything, Mighty Raava! I'll do anything!"

"You are never to talk to any mortal again. You are never to intervene and to make any punishments. You shall never steal any face again!" The Avatar demanded.

"I – I promise, Mighty Raava. Your wish is my command." All broken pieces of Koh moved closer to the Avatar and kneeled.

Avatar Hermione lowered her hands and touched the hood of the three dementors. When she lowered all three hoods, she called forth the other broken pieces of Koh the Face Stealer's spirit. The elemental ball surrounding Hermione now enveloped the three dementors kneeling in front of her.

The astounded audience shivered in fear as they saw more black-hooded spirits – dementors – appeared. Despite the dementors, they didn't feel cold, lonely, and affected by the darkness. They really couldn't see much since Hermione and the dementors were enveloped in a blinding light and a ball of elements floating around them. They did notice though that the number of dementors lessened and lessened until there seemed to be only one left.

"Koh the Face Stealer, you are to return to the Spirit World. You are to never speak to a mortal. You are to never intervene and make punishments on mortals again. You shall never steal a face again… Do you so swear?" Avatar Hermione proclaimed.

"Yes, Might Raava! I so swear!" The last dementor morphed into an enormous centipede-like creature which made the witnesses gasp in horror and surprise.

"Go, Koh! You are free!"

"Thank you, Mighty Raava… So long, Avatar Hermione…" With that, the dementors were banished forever.

As the elemental ball dissipated, Hermione collapsed due to magical exhaustion.

"Hermione!" Harry Potter ran as fast as he could to his worn-out betrothed.

"Mr. Potter, I think it's best if we bring the Avatar to see a goblin healer. You could all continue your unfinished affairs at Gringotts," Sharpfang suggested. Riptooth handed everyone a long rope that portkeyed them straight into an underground occupied by their best healers.

oOOOOo

As Hermione was being attended to by the best goblin healers, Harry was in a Conference Room with Sirius, Remus, Madam Bones, Minister Fudge, and Director Ragnok. He was worried for Hermione but the healers wanted him out of her room so they could focus. The Grangers were the only people permitted to stay with Hermione. Once he was reassured that his fiancée would be alright, he reluctantly joined the rest of their party.

"I suggest that we bring in a reporter so that the public will be made aware of all that has happened." Ragnok opened the conversation.

"I'll handle that, sir. Rita Skeeter as you know is an ally of ours. She's the one who broke the news of our betrothal after all." Harry offered.

"Please do, Mr. Potter." Ragnok agreed.

"Dobby!" Harry called out.

"Harry Potter sir be calling beetle woman?" Dobby confirmed. Harry and Ragnok, who knew about Rita's animagus form, chuckled at that.

"Yes, Dobby. Please tell her that we have another exclusive for her to write about."

"Right away, Harry Potter, sir." Dobby popped away.

"I always tell the little guy to call me Harry but well, at least he doesn't call me master. Harry Potter sir is a mouthful though." Harry had a fond smile on his face as he thought about Dobby.

"Amelia, maybe you should call on some aurors that you trust the most to arrest Dolores Umbridge and Lucius Malfoy," Cornelius turned to the Head of the DMLE.

"Are you sure about Lucius, Cornelius? The dementor only spoke Umbridge's name." In as much as she wanted to finally put the arrogant Malfoy in Azkaban, they didn't have any evidence of his involvement.

"For Dolores to get the address of the Grangers, she sought Lucius help. She needed the galleons to bribe the person who has access to the records. Who else would she go to but Lucius? I am willing to testify to the bribery of Lucius through the years... My motive for accepting is not the money but for him to keep my secret." The Minister for Magic was ashamed of himself.

"What secret, Cornelius?" Amelia asked.

"My mental health problems, the stress, anxiety… They are the reasons why I turned to Albus for help in the first place," Cornelius sighed.

"Oh, Cornelius... You should've opened up about this. To your wife, to your friends, to me..." Amelia sighed.

"I've decided to resign from my position, Amelia. After all the manipulations, I'm afraid I'm no longer capable of the job. I will be issuing a statement through Ms. Skeeter's article… In two weeks, I will be leaving my post. In the meantime, I will be appointing you as the interim Minister. I only hope that once an emergency election takes place, you get to keep the position for good… I will be doing my last act as minister today. I will use my amnesty powers to pardon Sirius Black on the grounds that one, he wasn't given a trial. Two, with veritaserum, we prove his innocence."

"Cornelius! Let's not be too hasty with the resignation!" Amelia was aghast.

"Resigning is the only way to save myself, Amelia. Lucius will bring me down the drain with him. At least I get to leave with my dignity intact… Should you need my help and support, I am always willing to give it. Although, I firmly believe that you will do a better job than I ever did."

"I respect your choice, Cornelius… I hope you will find healing from all that's happened to you." Amelia sighed in acceptance.

"If our goblin friends, under Director Ragnok, will continue to help me then I believe I will make a full recovery and regain my mental faculties one day, my dear."

"Minister Fudge, the Goblin Nation is always willing to lend out a helping hand to people victimized by those who have a hunger for power… I will be sending some goblin warriors to Azkaban for now, to aid the aurors as interim forces to watch over the prisoners. Now that the dementors are banished by Avatar Hermione, that is the first thing you need to do – secure the prisoners so they won't escape." Ragnok offered.

"Thank you Director Ragnok," Cornelius said respectfully.

"With your permission, Director Ragnok, I wish to draw my wand so I can summon my most trusted aurors to capture Umbridge and Malfoy," Amelia requested.

"Do what you must, Madam Bones," Ragnok nodded.

" _Expecto Patronum!"_ Amelia Bones' Patronus, a grim, floated around the conference room. Harry turned to his godfather who looked pretty pleased with the sight of the playful grim. Remus too noticed this and he elbowed his best friend.

"Please go to Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt. Tell him to assemble a group of aurors to capture Dolores Umbridge and Lucius Malfoy on the grounds of them attempting to administer a dementor's kiss on the Ward of the Goblin Nation, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, the Granger parents, along with myself, and Minister Fudge. Report to Gringotts in an hour! Only bring people you trust the most." Amelia commanded her Patronus who playfully nuzzled her wand arm before floating away.

"Harry Potter sir, Dobby be bringing beetle woman as requested!" Dobby popped in with Rita Skeeter in tow. The beetle animagus looked angry at being disturbed so late at night but when she noticed the prestigious people in the room, she grinned.

"Hello everyone! Well, Mr. Potter, it seems that you intend to deliver your promise of giving me juicy exclusives," Rita drawled.

"Sit down, Ms. Skeeter! We have a lot of stories for you to write about." Cornelius Fudge ordered.

oOOOOo

The next day, the British Wizarding World woke up to startling news written by Rita Skeeter. It was so shocking that they could hardly believe that everything stated was true. When they read the appendix containing details of the evidence, they were gobsmacked. It's like their world was being spun uncontrollably and things had just gone haywire.

First, Minister Fudge informed everyone about his resignation. In two weeks, he would be an ordinary citizen again and Madam Amelia Bones would take over as interim Minister until the emergency elections could be sorted out. While Cornelius had people who didn't agree with the way he ran the ministry, it was still a shock for them to have him resign like that because of mental health issues that were worsened through manipulations he didn't specify. The darker factions were saddened by this news. Amelia Bones was a formidable bitch. She would never be manipulated to suit their leanings.

Second, Sirius Black, a man despised for many years due to his betrayal of the Potters was granted amnesty – Cornelius' last act as the Minister. Since there was a thorough explanation of the facts along with a verbatim transcript of what had happened during his _veritaserum_ questioning, nobody could disprove this newly established fact.

Third, goblins and aurors would now be guarding Azkaban prison because all the dementors have been banished by Hermione Granger after her home was attacked by the soul-sucking monsters by the order of Dolores Umbridge and her benefactor, Lucius Malfoy. Now, this was a fact that the public could hardly believe to be true. With the pictures of goblins and aurors guarding Azkaban though, they begrudgingly gave credence to the story. The darker factions were heavily affected by this piece of news. Dementors were supposed to be unbeatable. The fact that a mudblood was able to do it was such a bitter pill to swallow.

Fourth, the Head of Slytherin, Professor Severus Snape was now under goblin custody due to his attempted assassination of their ward, Hermione Granger, through the use of the killing curse. When it was expounded that the muggleborn witch removed the professor's magic, everyone who read this news was astounded. How could a muggleborn do all these extraordinary things?

There was a last bit of news that narrated Harry Potter's selection as the fourth champion in the Tri-Wizard Tournament despite not having entered himself. This news was easily forgotten because the other exclusives revealed by Rita Skeeter were so much more important.

After devouring all the information they could read from today's paper, the purebloods had one question, 'Who the fuck is Hermione Granger and why is she so powerful?'

oOOOOo

Hermione was asleep for twenty-four hours straight before she awakened and was happily welcomed by her family and friends with relieved smiles. Harry and the rest of their party informed her of what had happened and she was very delighted that Sirius had been freed. With that news, she remembered something.

"Harry, can you lean in closer please?" She called for her betrothed.

"Oooh… Looks like someone's getting snogged," Sirius teased and Harry blushed.

"What is it, Hermione?" Harry whispered as he lovingly pushed away strands of hair that covered her face.

"Tell Sirius about Kreacher. The locket, Harry," she whispered back.

"Thank you, darling." Harry kissed her forehead before he resumed his original position by her bedside holding her hand.

"Sirius, we already talked about Voldemort's soul piece in my head in the conference room, right?" Harry started to say. Sirius nodded at that, all playfulness gone. The marauder still blamed himself for all the shit that his godson had faced through the years.

"Well… In Voldemort's memories that I've seen through my visions, there is a young man who looks like you… Someone called Regulus and an old house-elf. I think he knows where another soul piece is hidden, a locket actually. But do you think – "

"I'm on it, Harry! Kreacher! Come here!" Sirius interrupted with tears in his eyes.

A few minutes later, they heard a loud pop. "Filthy blood traitor master is back! What can Kreacher do for filthy blood traitor master?" Kreacher sneered.

"Why you bas – "

"Kreacher, do you know of a locket that has dark magic contained in it?" Hermione interrupted Sirius' angry hiss.

Kreacher gave Hermione an odd look. The witch laying down on the bed was a mudblood, he could tell. But this mudblood had the spirit of magic coursing through her.

"Yes, Miss." Kreacher replied after a minute.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Harry and Hermione chorused.

Kreacher continued to look at Hermione which unnerved the young couple. The house-elf finally asked, "Does Miss know she has the spirit of magic inside her?"

"Er, yes. I do know that, Kreacher." Hermione said awkwardly.

"Kreacher be nice to you Miss because you are nice to Kreacher. Kreacher always respect the Spirit of Magic even if yous a mudblood." Kreacher grinned before popping away to retrieve the locket.

"That slimy old – "

"Sirius! Please be kind to him… Besides, Kreacher is an old elf who's set in the ways of his old masters. He doesn't mean it as a slur. I'm a mudblood, so what? It's true after all. It might be derogatory, but at the end of the day, I'm born of non-magical parents and I'm proud of that!" Hermione said passionately.

"It also helps your confidence knowing that you're the most powerful magical being alive, darling," Harry teased and she snorted.

When Kreacher returned, he was holding the Horcrux and waiting for Hermione's instructions. "Will Miss remove the darkness now, so Kreacher can fulfill his promise to Master Regulus?"

"Please place the locket on the floor, Kreacher. I know someone who can help you fulfill your master's orders… I'm still too tired right now," Hermione smiled kindly.

"Harry, please call Riptooth or Sharpfang for me."

"I'll be right back, darling," Harry squeezed her hand in comfort before he stood from his seat.

Harry returned with both goblin guards who immediately greeted Hermione with a respectful bow. The young witch struggled to sit up in bed but she was able to do it with Harry's help. She returned the gesture by lowering her head and placing her palm across her chest.

"Sharpfang, Riptooth, this is Kreacher. The locket on the floor is another one of Voldemort's soul pieces… Can you be so kind as to bring it to those who know how to remove the taint?" Hermione explained.

"Of course, Avatar Hermione. I will be taking it to our curse breakers right away. Riptooth will stay outside, in case you need anything," Sharpfang held the chain on the locket and with a disgusted face, walked away.

"Oh, Miss! Kreacher be so grateful! Thank you! Thank you!" Kreacher was teary-eyed as he bowed to Hermione.

"It's nothing Kreacher. You are a good elf to the House of Black." Hermione smiled.

"Thank you Kreacher," Harry thanked the house-elf.

"Master Sirius, Kreacher be cleaning the manor now! I be calling once everything ready!" With that, the grumpy old house-elf popped away with an eagerness to serve the House of Black. His honor was restored since Master Regulus was avenged.

"You two – are just so bloody amazing!" Sirius exclaimed.

Hermione noticed Tonks standing in a corner as she surreptitiously stole glances at Remus. Sensing her gaze, Tonks looked at Hermione.

"Wotcher, Ms. Granger! My name is Tonks. I'm your parents' auror guard. Since Sirius, my cousin, and his friend, Remus, will be living with your parents for a while, I'm tasked by the Minister and Madam Bones to keep them safe." Tonks introduced herself.

"Oh. Hello, Auror Tonks!" Hermione had a bright smile on her face since she missed the vivacious metamorphmagus.

"You better rest, Ms. Gra – "

"Please call me, Hermione," Hermione grinned.

"Right! You better rest, Hermione. I'm told that you'll be back to Hogwarts in two days. Merlin knows you need to rest after all the shit you've been through," Tonks's hair changed colors to show her emotions.

"I'm happy you're free now, Sirius. And I'm so glad that everyone's alright... Uniting the dementors' broken soul pieces to free Koh the Face Stealer was so tiresome…" Hermione yawned.

"Sleep, darling. Everything is fine now," Emma lovingly tucked her daughter in. The heroine of the hour needed to rest.

oOOOOo

Hermione held Harry's hand as they walked towards the Hogwarts' main gate. Standing on each side of the couple was Sharpfang and Riptooth, their eyes ever ready to scout for any threat to their ward. Walking behind the couple was Madam Amelia Bones, Minister Fudge, five aurors, and a squad of goblins tasked to remove the basilisk carcass from Hogwarts.

Despite Harry's support, along with everyone else who believed in them, Hermione couldn't help feeling nervous. She had displayed quite the extraordinary feats of magic recently and she was frightened about the reactions of their peers. She reckoned that it could only go two ways. Either they fear her or they would now be clamoring to secure her favor because she was very powerful. Hermione felt Harry squeezing her hand reassuringly and she glanced at him.

"I'm here, darling. You're not alone," Harry whispered.

Hermione smiled as she mouthed, 'I love you' in reply.

Before entering the Great Hall, Hermione took a deep calming breath. When she nodded to Riptooth and Sharpfang, they opened the doors so they could enter. Madam Bones had been in contact with Professor McGonagall so they were at least reassured that Dumbledore wouldn't be present during the harvest of the carcass.

Due to Rita Skeeter's articles, the International Confederation of Wizards had filed a motion to have Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore removed as Supreme Mugwump, so he was away for a few days in a desperate attempt to hold on to his position.

Despite that, the stares and whispers from the students almost made Hermione want to run away. As she practiced her meditation exercises in her head, she strengthened her resolve. She must push through. As the embodiment of Raava in this world, she must face her duty.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts, Mr. Potter, and Ms. Granger! Minister Fudge, Madam Bones, aurors, and goblin warriors, welcome to Hogwarts." The Deputy Headmistress greeted all of them.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry and Hermione muttered.

"Hello, Minerva," the minister greeted while Amelia only smiled at the professor.

"I presume you can lead them towards the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets yourself, Mr. Potter?"

"Er, professor, we would like to offer the chance for a few students and members of the staff to explore the Chamber of Secrets with us," Harry replied.

"Why?" The Deputy Headmistress frowned.

"Well, I think it's a victim's right to see to it that the monster that had attacked them is gone… Here is a list, professor." Harry handed over a piece of parchment containing names he and Hermione had thought of. The Deputy Headmistress immediately perused the list.

"I see what you mean… but why did you exclude Ms. Weasley and invite the Weasley twins instead? Also, I notice that Ronald Weasley isn't here… Oh! You added the names of Ms. Lovegood and Mr. Longbottom," Professor McGonagall inquired.

"We reckon it's too much for Ginny to handle. Besides, she and Ron seem to disagree about our betrothal so best avoid that awkwardness," Harry said.

"We decided with the twins and Neville because they're our friends. As for Ms. Lovegood, we heard that Luna's father owns the Quibbler. Since they feature magical beings in their publication, we reckon she'd enjoy this opportunity," Hermione supplied.

"Very well… Please stand here for a while. I will be calling the students on this list."

"Mr. Colin Creevey, Mr. Finch-Fletchley, should you wish to see what happened to the creature that petrified you, please remain in the Great Hall… Ms. Lovegood, as a daughter of a magazine owner, you are granted the privilege too should you wish to see it for yourself... Mr. Longbottom, Mr. George, and Mr. Fred Weasley, you are given the option to go too – "

"What! What about me?" Ron exclaimed angrily.

"Sit down, Mr. Weasley! You are not included in the list! Ten points from Gryffindor for shouting in the Great Hall!" Professor McGonagall scolded. Embarrassed at being called out in public, a red-faced Ron grumbled back to his seat while stuffing his face with food to drown his sorrows.

"Ah, Mr. Digorry! Do you have a question?" Professor McGonagall saw the Hogwarts Champion raising his hand.

"I was wondering if I and the rest of the champions could see it, Professor," Cedric said.

"Mr. Potter?"

"Of course, Professor. All the champions are welcome to see it too."

"Alright! All students mentioned, should you wish to take this opportunity, please stay… The rest of you except those taking Transfiguration with me for their first period, as well as those taking Charms for their first period, you best be on your way to class."

As the students cleared the Great Hall, all those mentioned in the list decided to stay. Who would want to miss the opportunity of seeing a dead basilisk after all?

Neville Longbottom ran to his friends. He was delighted to see them after all that happened. "Harry! Hermione! I'm so happy to see you're both alright."

To his surprise, Hermione hugged him while Harry clapped him on the back. "We miss you too, mate," Harry said. When Hermione let him go, Neville blushed. He just couldn't believe that the two most popular teenagers in Wizarding Britain missed him – Neville Longbottom – a mediocre wizard.

Luna Lovegood timidly walked towards the golden couple. The nargles told her that Hermione Granger and Harry Potter would change the world for the better. They would propel the magical community to greater heights. Together, they would impact positive change and bring forth equality. The spirit of magic living in Hermione Granger along with the boy of destiny, Harry Potter, would eradicate pureblood supremacy. Before she could say anything to the couple, the curly-haired witch greeted her with a friendly grin.

"Hello, Luna! My name is Hermione Granger, and this is Harry Potter. We hope you can be our friend." The Avatar offered her hand to the young Ravenclaw.

"Re – really? _You_ want to be friends with me?" Luna was shocked.

"Of course, Luna!" Hermione smiled at her.

"Thank you, Hermione! I'd like that!" Since she couldn't contain her happiness, she wrapped the Avatar in a big hug. Hermione chuckled and she returned the hug with a tight squeeze.

When Luna remembered who she was hugging, she pulled away blushing.

"My Hermione loves her hugs, Luna. So, you'll get along splendidly with us," Harry Potter grinned.

"Harrykins! Goddess Hermione! It's good to see you here. Hogwarts is boring without you two," Fred playfully punched Harry's arm.

"Goddess Hermione," the Avatar huffed.

"At your service, dear goddess," Fred and George feigned a gallant bow making them look like a pair of idiots.

Luna giggled at their antics. "Luna, meet Neville. Neville, meet Luna," Hermione introduced. She knew that the reason why Neville and Luna didn't get together in the first timeline was because of the marriage contract between the House of Longbottom and House Abbott that Neville only learned about when he accepted his lordship. So, if she would be able to find a way to circumvent the law, then she reckoned it's best to help bring these two together.

"Hi, Luna," Neville said shyly.

"Hello, Neville. I hope we can be friends too," Luna smiled and Neville smiled back.

"Alright! Is everyone here?" Harry looked around and saw that every student on the list, along with the three champions, were already waiting for him to lead the way.

"Let's go, Harry," Hermione held Harry's hand again and together they walked toward the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets with the rest of the party.

oOOOOo

"Bummer! I wish I had my camera," Colin Creevey muttered as he saw the basilisk carcass. He turned around when he felt someone poking him.

"Here you go, Colin! I asked Dobby to bring a camera. I reckon you'd like a photo… Promise to give me a copy though or else my friend Rita Skeeter would be pissed," Harry chuckled as he handed a camera to the younger Gryffindor.

"Wow! This is top of the line – "

"Huh, I didn't know that… Say, you can keep this Colin. I don't have the knack for photography. I just want to take pictures of Hermione and stuff," Harry grinned.

"No way!" Colin exclaimed. "Are you sure?" His eyes were shining with hope since he wanted this camera.

"Of course, mate." Harry winked at him and Colin practically skipped to test his new camera.

Hermione watched the by-play between the two wizards and she wrapped an arm around Harry's waist. "You are so sweet, Mr. Potter."

"Don't I get a reward for it later?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she elbowed him.

"Ouch, woman!" He feigned injury. Hermione whispered something to him and he had a shit-eating grin on his face.

While the rest of their party, professors, ministry officials, students, and goblins were focused on the sixty-foot basilisk carcass along with the shredded skin scattered around this smelly and legendary chamber, Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum watched in envy at the way their coveted witch, one Hermione Granger, was making eyes at her betrothed, the blasted fourth champion, Harry _bloody_ Potter.

"Mr. Potter, you already told us the story about this basilisk but seeing it in the flesh! Wow! I believe you deserve an Order of Merlin for this young man!" Cornelius Fudge praised.

"Oh no, sir! I was just lucky, I guess. Besides, Hermione told me that it was a basilisk that I had to face down here, that's the reason why she got petrified. She was researching in the library and – well, if you think I deserve recognition, then Hermione does too." Harry blushed at the praise.

"Don't listen to him, Minister Fudge. He's just too bloody noble! He saved me from a mountain troll during our first year and he drove away over a hundred dementors to save me in our third year. Also, he stepped in front of a werewolf just to protect me – " Hermione summarized her betrothed's heroics but he interrupted her.

"And this is coming from the witch who banished the dementors and who only got into trouble because of me," Harry snorted.

"Well, Cornelius, I think an Order of Merlin for these two is the only solution, eh?" Amelia Bones joined in.

"Yes, indeed! Although, since I'll be out of office soon, I think the nomination will fall on your lot, Madam Bones," Cornelius teased.

"Excuse me, Avatar Hermione?" Sharpfang addressed his ward.

"Yes, Sharpfang? And please call me Hermione," she said kindly.

"It's a sign of respect, Avatar Hermione… Anyway, can you lend us a hand with the carcass? Maybe move the rocks so we can move it easier?" Sharpfang requested.

"Of course! Excuse me Minister, Madam Bones… Catch you later, love," Hermione followed Sharpfang and Harry felt his heart melting at the endearment. She very rarely used endearments because it reminded her of her potion-induced relationship with Ron in the previous timeline. The fact that she seemed to not notice the way she said 'love' made him happy because it meant that she was slowly starting to heal.

"That's a fine witch you have there, Harry. Don't you dare let her go," Minister Fudge advised.

"Oh, I know, sir! Believe me, I know," Harry grinned.

Hermione used earth bending to move the rocks easily so that the goblins could efficiently store the carcass in boxes. Her elemental magic made the task of extracting a very heavy monster away from the chamber a much easier one.

While Harry and the rest of their friends watched on with pride, Fleur and Viktor just wanted Hermione even more. Fleur wanted to be with the most powerful being in the world. Viktor on the other hand, wanted the privilege of having the most powerful being as his property, making him the envy of all wizards.

oOOOOo

Thirty minutes before the lunch break, the carcass extraction was completed so while the guests left Hogwarts, the students and Professors Flitwick and McGonagall freshened up to clean themselves of the smell of the basilisk remains. To save time, Harry and Hermione went to the Room of Requirement so they could freshen up before lunch. Since he knew that she was conscious of the other students' reactions to her powers, Harry agreed to his fiancee's request for some alone time.

"Harry?" Hermione asked when they're lounging on the couch after freshening up. She didn't want to go to the Great Hall yet.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"Do you think we should approach Draco Malfoy now? We're supposed to meet him but due to the Snape fiasco, we weren't able to follow through with the schedule… What do you think?"

"Well, I suppose we should try… I can try approaching him after DADA. Ask him if he still wants to meet up and talk?"

"Do you think he'll say yes? Lucius is in Azkaban because of me – "

"Hermione, I think we should try… I think we can still get Malfoy on our side. I think he'd be relieved that we took his father out… I think he's been severely abused by Lucius but he just didn't want to expound on it during our talk in the in-between… Besides, he loves Astoria very much. So, I know he'll listen to us."

"I hope you're right, love – "

"Love?" Harry grinned and Hermione blushed.

"Well you call me darling so," she shrugged.

"I quite like it… It's just I know how you feel about endearments given what happened before," Harry said gently.

"I know Harry but being with you… The progress we've made together, the horror of that past life seems to slowly fade away." She snuggled closer to him.

"I love you, darling… You may be the all-powerful Avatar, but I'll protect you, support you, whatever you need, I'll try and be it for you."

"I love you, Harry," Hermione turned to Harry and she gently pulled his face closer to hers. He understood what she wanted so he closed the gap between their lips and kissed her sweetly. It was a kiss that conveyed all his love for her and the fact that he would always be there for her.

"We should go. The longer we stay here, the more attention we will get," Hermione sighed as they pulled apart for air.

"We got this, Hermione. We'll make things right… We'll save the children both born and unborn… We'll have our own children, born out of love. We'll get through this, darling. Just like we always do." Harry pressed his forehead to her own. They closed their eyes and enjoyed the quiet for a few more minutes. After leaving the Room of Requirement, it would be another battlefield they had to thrive on. So, they needed this moment to just be with each other.

oOOOOo

Draco Malfoy walked toward the unused classroom on the third floor that Potter asked him to go to for their meeting after dinner. Upon reading the note from Potter and Granger a few days ago, when they wrote about knowing his two biggest secrets, he was intrigued.

While the house-elves knew about the abuse he got from his father, nobody knew about his promise to marry Astoria Greengrass when he was a six-year-old boy. So, he was truly curious as to how his archnemesis learned about it.

When he read the detailed article by Rita Skeeter about the capture of his father and Dolores Umbridge, he was utterly relieved. He no longer had to live a double life – that of a pampered Slytherin prince and as his father's personal stress reliever.

Knocking on the door, he waited for a reply. Potter opened the door and ushered him inside. He saw Granger there and he winced. He enjoyed making fun of Granger because it was his petty retaliation for her getting the top marks. Since his father hated muggleborns, the fact that he could never beat Hermione Granger for the top spot earned him severe punishments during the summer. Now that Granger displayed the full extent of her powers as some sort of spirit goddess, he was truly scared.

"Granger, Potter, I'd just like to say sorry for being a right bastard to you both… I'm just jealous of your friendship. And I'm envious of your intelligence Granger, you're a major reason as to why I get more beatings in the summer since I could never beat you for the top marks." Draco apologized profusely.

"Apology accepted, Malfoy… I have a question though," Harry had a pensive look on his face.

"Sure, Potter. Ask away."

"If you don't like – "

"Not liking my father is an understatement. I hate him! For what he does to my mother and to me," Draco interrupted with gritted teeth.

"I'm so sorry for all that you've been through, Draco," Hermione said sympathetically and Draco was surprised.

"Why are you so nice to me, Gra – Hermione?"

"All of us are fighting our own battles. You are a victim of the situation. I can tell you're a good person but you're forced to act cruelly." Hermione said with a kind smile.

"For what it's worth, I truly am sorry."

"Apology accepted."

"Your father forces you to act like him, right? And you have to sing his praises all the time?" Harry confirmed and Draco nodded.

"We want to help you, Draco… That's the real reason why we wrote you that letter," Hermione propelled the conversation forward.

"What do you want in return?" Draco asked bluntly but his stormy gray eyes were void of resentment.

"We need you to spy on who amongst the Slytherins have Death Eater tendencies… In return, I promise to do my best to heal Astoria, a girl you've loved ever since childhood." Hermione said in a no-nonsense tone.

"I'm not gonna ask how you know all these things. I'll just assume this is because of your special spirit powers… You've already gotten rid of my father, something I am truly grateful for… And now you are offering to help cure Astoria of the curse from her family…" Draco mused out loud. There was only one thing he could do.

Draco flicked his wrist to summon his wand from its holster. He held it firmly against his chest as he promised, "I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, do solemnly swear to pledge my allegiance to the House of Potter, with its future head, Harry Potter, and his future spouse, Hermione Granger. I will support them in their endeavors and align the House of Malfoy with their principles. So, mote it be!" As the magic seeped through him, Draco Malfoy had a real smile on his face – something that's very rare for him.

"Thank you for your sincerity and effort to show your support to us, Draco… So, what do you say, friends?" Harry Potter held out his hand to the blonde Slytherin.

"Friends," Draco smiled at his former nemesis as they shook hands.

"Thank you so much, Draco… We still have to keep up pretenses though. Until we end Voldemort at least," Hermione offered her hand too.

Like a true pureblood, instead of shaking her hand, Draco kissed her knuckles. "It would be an honor to help the living embodiment of magic here on Earth. Thank you for accepting me into your fold."

"You should learn how to speak pureblood, Harry. It's kinda sweet and charming," Hermione grinned.

"Stop making me look bad, Malfoy," Harry said grumpily.

"You got to up your game, Potter. Viktor Krum wants your betrothed," Draco said seriously.

"Oh, we know. We're just waiting for him to make one wrong move before we do something," Harry sighed.

"Good. Whatever I hear from the Slytherins and the Durmstrang delegates, I'll be reporting to you… How often should we meet?"

"I think once a week is enough for now… unless there's an emergency. If that happens just corner us for a discussion when it's necessary." Harry answered.

"I'll keep my eyes and ears open," with a respectful nod, Draco Malfoy walked away knowing that he made the right choice.

oOOOOo

Two days later, when Albus Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts, he learned about what had happened to the basilisk carcass in the Chamber of Secrets. His office was now flooded with angry mail from concerned parents and he's certain that the new Bones-Fudge alliance would be using this against him. With Bones as Fudge's appointed interim Minister and her good relationship with the goblins, he must tread carefully.

His trip to Switzerland was an utter failure. He was ousted from his position as the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. Since his dirty laundry was being aired out in public because of that nosy witch, Rita Skeeter, he knew that he'd be ousted as Chief Warlock any time now.

He was losing control of his greatest weapon against Voldemort. Harry Potter had now made solid allies with the Ministry, the goblins, and he was betrothed to the most powerful being in the world. There's no way that Harry would willingly walk to his death now.

While Harry Potter used to be his greatest focus, the boy was now relegated as a second thought. Lately, he was obsessed with figuring out Hermione Granger's powers. Why was she able to do extraordinary feats of magic? Why did the goblins address her as an Avatar? What's an Avatar? What was her weakness? How did she learn about her elemental powers when the potions he had been giving her had been so effective for years?

He knew that Voldemort was just waiting for the right time to rise again. So, he really didn't need an even more potent threat lurking around in the form of an innocent little witch – Hermione Granger. He must stop Ms. Granger before she became the next Dark Lady. If ever the brilliant witch would delve into the Dark Arts, then no one would ever stand a chance against her.

oOOOOo

Lord Voldemort, in his piteous form of a baby, heard about one Hermione Granger, the supposed most powerful being alive. Vanquisher of dementors. The witch who removed Severus' magic. And more importantly, the betrothed of his enemy – Harry Potter.

He needed to study this mudblood. He needed to find her weakness. No one should ever exceed him in power. With this mudblood firmly in Potter's camp, the Boy Who Won't Fucking Die would be unbeatable.

He needed to either bring Hermione Granger into his fold, which was truly impossible, or he must have her killed. But how would he do that when the mudblood could even banish dementors who were supposedly indestructible?

_Good thing I have Barty at Hogwarts. I need a reliable spy from within… I must think of a better plan. I must know more about this mudblood._

oOOOOo

Molly Weasley wanted Hermione Granger as a daughter-in-law. She would make an excellent wife to her stupidest son, Ronald. With Hermione as Ron's property, then her little Ginny could finally be with her hero, Harry Potter. It would be One Big Happy Weasley Family. The Boy Who Lived for her Ginny. The Most Powerful Being Alive for her Ronald.

Molly may be underestimated as a plump witch who only cooked meals and cared for her family but nobody knew that she had a natural affinity for making potions. In fact, she had perfected a special form of _Amortentia_ that's untraceable by any form of wizarding spells.

 _I must get to work soon before it's too late. My children deserve the best. And Harry and Hermione are clearly the best. That way, when Ron had Hermione and Ginny had Harry, the Weasley family would be the most prominent in the Wizarding World,_ Molly thought happily as she started making her special love potion.

oOOOOo

In the afterlife, Avatar Aang could only shake his head in exasperation at the silliness of humans as they let themselves be consumed by greed for power, wealth, and status. He was confident that the current Avatar, Hermione Granger, would succeed this time around but the utter thirst for power displayed by her enemies was truly revolting.

_Good luck, Avatar Hermione. I hope to talk to you again when you decide to enter the Avatar State during your meditations…_

__

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Avatar Nezral is a made-up character (an inverse of my second name). 
> 
> Koh the Face Stealer is a real Avatar character for those of y'all not familiar with the Avatar: The Last Airbender Universe. 
> 
> On a real note, this chapter is LONG.  
> Seriously though, what do you think?  
> Does this fic even make sense? HAHA.


	5. In Victory, Planning Is Key

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to God Save The Children.  
> Hi! How are ya?
> 
> This is the last chapter for now.  
> I still have to write Chapters 6 - 8 (maybe even add two more, who knows).
> 
> Anyway, God Save The Children is Book of "Avatar Hermione and the Master of Death" series. So, since this is a cross-over fic and some of you are not familiar with the Avatar: The Last Airbender Universe, I had to create strong foundations to explain Avatar-lore, the origins of bending, etc.
> 
> Since this is a Master of Death Harry fic, the dude will have his own big moments.
> 
> I really hope to finish Book 1 of this cross-over series before March ends. If not, well, let's just hope I finish this soon.
> 
> I prepared big time for this story y'all. I did art pieces, the storyline, Avatar research, 'awwing' at Appa, thinking of a way to bring Appa into the story, and a whole lot of other things that you really don't want to know. So yeah, this is supposed to be my Quantum Bang story so I really really tried hard for this one so I hope you like it. 
> 
> Sorry for rambling. Carry on with the show.
> 
> ENJOY.

** In Victory, Planning is Key **

After an intense week that was filled with so many significant events during their return to the year 1995, Harry and Hermione decided to blend in with the rest of the students at Hogwarts. By 'blending in', it meant that they ignored the staring, the whispers, and the rumors about them. They were able to do all of that due to their friends – with Neville, Luna, Fred, and George as their fiercest supporters.

Aside from these four, there were students like Seamus Finnigan who wanted to see if they could learn some of the things that Hermione could do. So, Seamus began to join their mini study group so he could learn more about fire bending. Luna Lovegood, whom they more or less adopted, was keen to learn water bending from the Avatar and they discovered that she had the special gift of healing as well. Of course, it was a given that Neville had become Hermione's first earth bending apprentice. The Herbology prodigy was very excited since he was certain that earth bending could help him grow the healthiest plants.

Needless to say, Harry was her first air bending apprentice and amongst her four students, he was the one who had made the most progress. Harry Potter could now make strong gusts of wind that could make any opponent fall on his back as soon as it hit. Also, he could now make use of an air bending technique to summon things to him. This would be very useful in wandlessly disarming an opponent, among many other possible applications.

Seamus joined their mini study group two times a week while Neville and Luna were always seen with the Golden Couple (as the other students called them) during breaks and free periods. Neville sat beside Harry and Hermione in the classes they shared. He also accompanied Harry in dropping Hermione off at her Ancient Runes and Arithmancy classes. The Gryffindor trio was no more because Ron was content to just glare at his former best friends at a distance.

They often met in the Room of Requirement where they practiced elemental bending. When they didn't train, the four friends were usually found in the library or an empty classroom so they could do their homework and sometimes, to just simply hang-out. Luna and Neville understood Harry and Hermione's need for privacy so they happily accompanied their friends in places not frequented by the rest of the students. This dynamic became their new norm. Since their friends were a betrothed couple, Neville and Luna respected their need to spend some time by themselves. Because of that, they found themselves being drawn to each other as they spent more time together. Whether they're together as a group or when they're all alone, Luna and Neville were two kindred spirits. They shared a very special connection even though they just recently started hanging out this school year.

Harry and Hermione were thankful that everything started to settle down after all the game-changing events that happened upon their return. Amelia Bones was now the interim Minister for Magic and the emergency elections were scheduled in the second week of January. Hermione's parents, Sirius, and Remus were all getting along based on the letters and mirror calls they had exchanged. They were able to remove the taint of the diadem a few days after the basilisk carcass was extracted. Dumbledore was on the brink of losing all his control since he was suspended as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot along with his removal as the Supreme Mugwump of the ICW.

Life was so much better this time around.

Since Harry and Hermione believed that Dumbledore was just waiting for the right time to pounce on them, they remained vigilant. The old coot was a smart, cunning, and powerful wizard that they should never underestimate.

They were also wary and determined to steer clear of the fake Moody, Barty Crouch Jr. Harry didn't want Hermione to be coveted by Voldemort because the evil lunatic might try something that could harm his beloved so they decided to lay low. Since that dark git was an insecure piece of shit, they knew that the Dark Wanker would be highly interested in the Most Powerful Being Alive who also happened to be the beautiful betrothed of his prophesied vanquisher.

One person they were rather desperate to avoid was Horace Slughorn, the new potions professor since Snape was now cleaning dragon shit at Gringotts. If Slughorn was obsessed with seeking Harry's favor in the last timeline, he was much worse this time around. Instead of Harry though, he was all over Hermione much to the young Avatar's annoyance. Thankfully, since her goblin guards were very intimidating figures, Slughorn never attempted to reach out to the couple outside of class.

They were able to accomplish and bring about significant change in the span of a few weeks but some things just remained the same. Slughorn was still collecting prized students. Ron was still a jealous git. Ginny was still a crying fangirl. The fake Moody was still trying to 'help' Harry even if he didn't need it. And lastly, Neville and Luna were still the most loyal friends they could ever ask for.

oOOOOo

Neville, Luna, and Seamus had just exited the door and it didn't escape Harry's notice that Neville and Luna were holding hands as they left the room. Turning to his betrothed, he decided to ask if she noticed something between their two friends.

"Neville and Luna… They're one of those 'could have been' couples in the previous timeline if the circumstances were different," Hermione sighed as she lounged on the couch. Harry sat beside Hermione who immediately plonked her tired legs on his lap. As was their routine, Harry carefully removed her shoes and stockings as he started to massage her aching feet.

Teaching all four people various styles of elemental bending was hard work. Since bending an element required using one's body as the focus channel, it was so tiresome to teach people various movements that were anchored on ancient martial arts. At first, Neville and Seamus seemed apprehensive to continue their training because of their sore bodies after the first session. Luna, however, enjoyed the training because as an adventurer she wanted to keep herself fit. Harry too didn't mind the physical part of training because he spent many years as an auror in his previous life.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I adore your magic hands?" Hermione closed her eyes as she rested her head on a pillow.

"Oh, I don't know… You don't mention it verbally but you do _thank_ me properly in other ways," Harry smirked. Hermione always snogged him senseless after he massaged her aching feet.

"If you mastered giving foot rubs from Ginny, I have half a mind to thank her," Hermione chuckled.

"I learned it not from Ginny but rather, I was forced to learn it because of Ginny. She had hideous feet. Really nasty! So, she had this potion that she used on them. It was supposed to make her feet look better even if they never worked... Anyway, she forced me to massage her ugly feet every single day," Harry explained with gritted teeth.

"Oh, Harry! I'm sorry! Maybe we should stop. I don't want you to feel bad about – "

"I hated doing it for Ginny but I don't mind doing it for you… Besides, your feet are adorable," Harry reassured her with a grin on his face.

"I guess that makes so much sense now," she mused.

"What makes sense?"

"Why Ginny always made snarky comments about my peep-toe shoes, strappy sandals – you know how much I loved shoes in the previous timeline," she chuckled.

"Ah, yes! The _Witch Weekly_ articles about what, where, and who made Minister Granger's shoes… that helped in combating bigotry, you know? Women and fashion," Harry shivered playfully.

"Oh, don't I know! Pansy Parkinson was forced to act friendly with me since she wanted to know where I bought my shoes… It's a good thing that Ron's so dumb. He didn't know how to convert galleons to sterling properly… I mean, you're muggle-raised so you understand," Hermione grinned.

"What were those brands again? _Manolo Blahnik_?" Harry teased and she blushed.

"Well, they made me feel good! And it was – "

"Oh, and they did make you _look_ good! Blokes at the Ministry enjoyed watching your behind when you walked in them," Harry smirked.

"Sure, they did," she snorted in disbelief.

"It used to make me angry when you get ogled like that but then I thought that I was being such a hypocrite when I checked you out myself… Your shoes were legendary, darling. Pureblood women were green with envy since they didn't know where to buy shoes like yours."

She huffed. "Now I know why the men don't walk by my side or in front of me. I used to think it was chivalry but now – argh!" She lightly kicked him.

"Ow!" He feigned hurt.

"You're such a prat! Why didn't you tell me?" She glared at him.

"Well, I couldn't just say, 'Hey Minister Granger, your arse and legs look so damn good in them tight skirts accentuated by your shoes,' eh?"

"You're such a boy!" She huffed.

"Oh, come on! Besides, I wasn't the only one thinking about it! Ron used to be so smug. Bragging about how hot you were in bed – " He stopped talking when her frown deepened.

"I'm cursing that moron so that he won't be able to use his bollocks ever again!" She hissed. The angry glint in her eyes made him wince. He was so glad that his name wasn't Ronald Billius Weasley.

"I'm so sorry, darling. I didn't mean to – "

"It's not your fault, Harry. I just, argh! I can't believe he did that! Spread stories about _that_ when I had to do all the work because he didn't know what to do with his small dick and his technique – " Hermione stopped ranting when Harry ended up laughing like a mad man.

"What's so bloody funny?" She glared at him.

"I'm not laughing at you. I just, well, I used to be bloody jealous of Ron when he talked about you – _that…_ It's like he's gloating, you see. How bloody hot his wife was… I used to think that maybe I made the wrong choice with Ginny… Aside from the fact that she was so boring in bed, and the hideous feet, she was always a fangirl… Always keen to be seen with the Man Who Conquered… Doesn't help that she looked like Molly as the years piled up while you remained a MILF – "

"Did you just call me a mum you'd like to – "

"MILF. Minister I'd Like to Fuck," he smirked and she rolled her eyes.

"You may be a real sweetheart, but you, Harry Potter, are such a bloke," she shook her head in fond exasperation. Deep inside, she was extremely flattered though.

"Speaking of sweethearts, what do you think about Sirius and Amelia's burgeoning relationship? Talk about unexpected, eh?"

"I'm so delighted for Sirius!" Hermione said happily.

"I do agree with you, darling… Madam Bones will keep that old dog on a tight leash," Harry chuckled.

"You know, Harry… You truly are Sirius' godson," Hermione said knowingly.

"Huh? Why?"

"Going after MILFs," Hermione smirked and Harry laughed.

"Oh, that's so true! You're a much hotter minister than Amelia Bones could ever be though," he winked.

"Come over here, Potter! It's time for your reward," she beckoned him to come closer.

There wasn't much talking after that as Harry and Hermione were preoccupied with more pleasurable activities. Being hormonal teenagers with the memories of their past lives, they explored each other's bodies without going all the way. They promised to activate their soul bond during their wedding night on Harry's sixteenth birthday after all.

oOOOOo

After weeks of intensive training and preparation, the First Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament finally arrived. Harry could already do most of the basic air bending techniques. Hermione's reward system did wonders for him. He was highly motivated to learn the techniques as quickly as possible because she was such a brilliant kisser. _A bloody whipped horny teenage bloke like me would never stand a chance!_

While she knew that he'd already survived the tournament the first time around, she also feared that by exposing her powers and by changing so much, their enemies might be tempted to try something else that they never expected to happen. So, it's best to be prepared for the worst.

Now sitting here inside the Champions' tent, he could never dispute that his fiancée was right. Viktor Krum and Cedric Diggory, no matter how hard they tried to conceal the nervousness they felt, their body language betrayed their real feelings – the fidgeting, the anxious glances, and the deep breaths. Meanwhile, the gorgeous Fleur Delacour's nerves were more visible because she looked rather frazzled as compared to her usual arrogant calmness with her perfect hair and overconfident demeanor.

Harry, while not wanting to give an inch, felt calm and ready. He had three plans of action for this task. If his first plan worked then he'd be able to complete the task in five minutes tops. He was excited to finish this task so he could get his reward. Hermione told him that he could snog her topless if he completed the first task without getting a single blemish at all.

While he'd seen Hermione naked when he had woken up with a gruesome headache after the goblins removed the Horcrux in his scar and used her as an anchor, he wasn't able to get a good look at her back then. He'd just woken up from a bloody ritual after all. Also, they were in a hurry to meet with Director Ragnok so they didn't have the time to think about – let alone do – naughty things. The times they had some alone time together, all they did was snog and some heavy petting over clothes.

With her _reward_ as his main motivation, he was bloody determined to finish this task without a single blemish. He shivered in excitement as he pictured the naughty things they would be doing after this silly display of wizarding talents. Yes, the Tri-Wizard tournament was just a silly and pointless showcase of wizarding talent that took advantage of gullible and fame-hungry students. _Oh well, at least I have something to look forward to,_ he grinned.

"Harry?" He heard Hermione's breathy whisper from behind the tent.

"I'm here, Hermione," he replied. Just like before, Hermione tackled him with a big hug and kissed him soundly on the lips. This was the scene that Rita Skeeter and her photographer captured.

"My! My! Are you worried about your betrothed not surviving this Hermione?" Rita teased. Since they were allies in this timeline, they didn't mind the beetle animagus' quips.

"Oh, no! I'm confident he'll win this thing. Just giving him some motivation, 'is all," Hermione said cheekily and Rita laughed.

"I'll be sending a photo of your smooch so you can have it as memorabilia. Why don't you stand over there and we'll take a picture – " before Rita could finish her sentence, Viktor Krum interrupted.

"This place is for champions. Go away!" The Bulgarian hissed.

"Hmph! Fine!" Rita huffed. "He seems jealous if you ask me," she whispered to the couple who only chuckled at that.

"Ms. Granger! What are you doing here?" Dumbledore frowned when he saw Hermione there.

"Just wishing my fiancé all the best, professor. I'll see you later, love," Hermione winked at Harry who winked right back.

When Hermione left, Harry walked toward the center of the tent with a shit-eating grin on his face. Fleur and Viktor glared at him but he didn't care. He loved Hermione and she loved him back. Those two jealous prats could sod-off.

oOOOOo

Harry was left with the Hungarian Horntail to battle against, just like in the previous timeline. As he waited for his turn, he could hear the comments about the other champions' performance. Their strategies and injuries remained the same. When it was finally his turn to retrieve the golden egg, he took a deep calming breath before exiting the tent.

Pointing his wand to his throat, he muttered _Sonorous._

According to the book on dragons that he thoroughly perused, as a species of magical reptile, parselmouths would be able to communicate with them. So, he was determined to test that fact right now.

_{Greetings, Mighty Dragon!}_ Harry hissed as he gallantly bowed. According to the book, dragons were proud and egotistical creatures. So, you had to lavish them with compliments. He could hear the crowd gasp in horror and surprise at his use of parseltongue but he didn't care.

_{Hello, Two legs! Why do you address the Powerful Blaze?}_ To Harry's delight, the Horntail hissed back.

_{I offer you a gift. Fresh meat. I just want to remove the fake egg in your nest… That egg isn't worthy to belong with your beautiful babies}_

_{These aren't my babies. My babies are back home… These are my friends' babies… I'm hungry, Two legs! Where's my food?}_ This time around, the dragon blew out a little flame.

Harry chuckled. The book was right. Dragons were big divas.

_{I'll go bring it for you… Wait a minute, please.}_ Harry held out his wand and muttered, " _Accio_ Bag of Meat for the dragon!" A minute later, the bag full of fresh meat that Dobby prepared for him levitated towards his direction.

Using air bending, Harry laid it at the Horntail's feet.

_{Thank you, Two legs… You can now take the fake! I am insulted at the silliness of the other two legs but you're okay.}_ The Horntail started to devour the meat and Harry carefully walked to fetch the golden egg.

He was about to leave the pitch when the dragon hissed, _{I smell goddess on you… Where is she? Does she want a dragon? I'll be a good dragon… A goddess needs Beautiful and Powerful Blaze! I'm not going anywhere until I meet her… All the dragons can feel her presence. But there are too many two legs that we can't be sure where she is… I demand you bring her to me. My ancestor Fang once served as the spirit guide of the Great Avatar Roku…}_

_{Please wait for a while, Mighty Blaze…}_ He pleaded and the dragon blew out some flame again.

"The Horntail Blaze has a message for all of us. She says she wants to meet Hermione. She won't go anywhere until she can meet her. According to her, all the dragons can feel Hermione's presence but since there are too many people, they really can't be sure where she is… She demands to meet Hermione because her ancestor, Fang, once served as the spirit guide of Avatar Roku!" Harry informed the crowd.

"Harry Potter! Stop with your lies and just leave the pitch!" Albus Dumbledore yelled through a _Sonorous._ The Horntail must have sensed the tension, so she roared angrily to the sky and the crowd screamed in fear.

_{Where is my goddess?!}_ Blaze, the Horntail, hissed.

_{Have patience, Mighty Blaze… The organizers of this tournament are just deliberating right now.}_ Harry placated the dragon.

_{I need to see my goddess now!}_ Before the dragon could roar angrily, Hermione jumped down from her position on the stands using air bending to speed up her movements and to cushion her fall. She was now at ease with heights. She even practiced flying with her glider at night, but she didn't want others to know about it.

When Hermione landed in front of the dragon, everyone was stunned into silence when the large predator lowered its head in a bow. Hermione smiled as she lovingly cradled the dragon's head. Hermione's eyes glowed for a minute before she let go of the dragon's head. Blaze roared into the sky.

_{Two legs, please tell goddess I want her to ride me and we'll fly… Just like my ancestor and the Avatar Roku}_ Blaze hissed to Harry.

"Blaze wants to fly around with Hermione riding her. Just like her ancestor and the Avatar Roku used to do," Harry announced.

"I will not allow such nonsense! Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter get out of the pitch!" Dumbledore said with gritted teeth.

Blaze felt the anger radiating from this old ugly two legs who was determined to separate her from the goddess. So, she gathered all the heat in her gut and prepared to emit the hottest ball of flame she could make.

Before the flames could attack anyone, Hermione pushed the flame away through a gust of strong winds. Now levitating on an air scooter, she sternly held eye contact with the Horntail who only lowered her head. She gently rubbed the dragon's snout.

_{Two legs, tell your goddess I want to fly with her. Tell old ugly Two legs I'll burn him if he stops me!}_

"Blaze wants to fly with Hermione. Please allow them. I don't think she'll calm down if she doesn't get what she wants. And Professor Dumbledore, if you won't stop intervening, the Horntail is threatening to burn you – "

"Why you arrogant little – "

"Albus Dumbledore! As the Minister for Magic, I command you to not intervene between the bonding of a magical creature and her chosen witch!" Minister Amelia Bones demanded.

"O – Of course, Amelia." Dumbledore was gobsmacked. He had never been shown such disrespect.

Hermione lowered herself to the ground and used metal bending to crush the metal shackles that held the dragon in place. Turning to Harry, she said, "Love, can you please tell the Beautiful Blaze that I'll be honored to fly with her."

When Harry translated Hermione's statement in parseltongue, Blaze crouched down. Hermione used air bending to jump up the dragon's back and settled herself.

Blaze the Horntail stretched her legs, opened her wings, and happily soared with the goddess she wanted to serve on her back.

oOOOOo

Fawkes, the phoenix, shrilled a melancholic tune as he watched Avatar Hermione riding on a dragon's back from his perch by a window on the headmaster's office. He could feel the magic of the young curly-haired witch calling out to him but he was trapped. He couldn't leave Albus Dumbledore because the once great wizard bound him.

Now the human he wanted to accompany was bonding to another magical creature.

Maybe he could bond with Avatar Hermione's bond mate instead. Harry Potter, while a youngling, would grow up to be the greatest wizard for many generations after all. That way, he could still be close to the spirit goddess while serving a good wizard who happened to her mate.

oOOOOo

Harry scored the lowest for the first task. Dumbledore and the cowardly Death Eater, Karkaroff, gave him a five while Madam Maxime awarded him full points. Even if he was the one to complete the task in the shortest possible time (and the only one to leave the pitch unscathed), the two petty wizards just didn't want him to be in the lead. Karkaroff was an insecure git while Dumbledore was bitter since he was publicly embarrassed again.

Harry didn't care though. What's important was the fact that he had kept his promise to Hermione. So, he knew he was going to get a good snogging session at the very least.

A quarter of an hour later, Blaze landed at the center of the pitch and Hermione bowed to the dragon in thanks. Everyone who witnessed the awe-inspiring sight was gobsmacked. Some were jealous of Hermione's power, others were just amazed, while the rest were afraid. The pureblood students who witnessed the scene promised to never antagonize Potter and Granger again. Who would go against a parselmouth and a dragon rider?

Charlie Weasley who witnessed everything, slowly approached the Golden Couple while his colleagues tried (but failed) to constrain the Hungarian Horntail. Knowing what had happened between the beast and the witch, he decided to open negotiations for purchase.

"Excuse me, Ms. Granger? Mr. Potter?" Charlie said politely.

"Hello… You're Charlie Weasley, right?" Harry asked and the dragonologist nodded.

"Yes… I'll just like to inform you that the Horntail, Blaze, instigated a magical bond with Ms. Granger over here… So, to whom should we negotiate regarding a purchase? It's widely known that Ms. Granger is a ward of the Chief of the Goblin Nation. Also, she's your betrothed… So, er, who shall be footing the bill and where will Blaze be staying?"

"Call us Harry and Hermione," Harry said and Hermione nodded.

"Dobby – "

"Yes, Harry?" Dobbed popped in.

"Can you please ask Director Ragnok if he has some spare time today? We want to talk to him about something."

"Right away, Harry," Dobby bowed before popping away.

"Avatar Hermione, we think you and Mr. Potter should go to Gringotts right now. You need to make arrangements as to where you're going to house your spirit guide… Your bond with the dragon is very special. It should be harnessed. You must go as soon as possible before there will be unwanted interventions," Sharpfang explained as he handed Harry and Hermione a rope.

"But shouldn't we wait for Director Ragnok to – "

"Supporting the Avatar is a prime concern for us. The Director will make time for you," Riptooth added.

"Er, should I go with you?" Charlie asked.

"Gringotts will be contacting you once arrangements are finalized. For now, keep the dragon safe," Sharpfang said curtly and Charlie nodded in understanding.

"I'll say goodbye to Blaze first. Let her know that I'll be making sure that she'll be able to stay with me," Hermione said.

"I'll go with her. Translator and all that," Harry grinned.

"Of course. We'll be waiting here," Sharpfang agreed.

oOOOOo

"Avatar Hermione, Mr. Potter, welcome to Gringotts! Per Dobby, it seems that you both had another interesting day," Ragnok greeted.

"Greetings, Director Ragnok! May your vaults be filled with gold and your enemies crush beneath your feet." Hermione and Harry chorused.

"You two are so in-sync that it makes me happy to see you two so in love and so united… Soul bonds are such a thing of beauty. Of course, you'll only be able to confirm it when you marry but I have a strong feeling about you two," Ragnok smiled but on a big strong goblin, it looked like a grimace.

"Thank you, sir," Harry said and Hermione nodded.

"What do you plan for your dragon, Avatar Hermione?" Ragnok cut to the chase.

"She's descended from a dragon that once was a spirit guide for Avatar Roku, sir… And I like Blaze. She's very – I don't know. We just click." Hermione smiled as she recalled her quick flight awhile ago.

"You have two options. One, as a member of the House of Potter, your betrothed buys it for you… Or, as my ward, I can pay for it. That's not really the problem but you need to find a place for her to stay in the short-term and long-term. Of course, she can stay in Gringotts in the meantime or at a Potter property of your choice."

"Er, I'm not sure if I have a house like that, sir." Harry was confused. In the previous timeline, he was well-off but he's not _that_ rich.

"Ah, yes. The Potter family has one of the most complicated protective wards on their properties… If you're a Head of House but not the incumbent Lord, you must pass some sort of ancient family magic test to be acknowledged as one first, if not, then you'll only have limited access and can only enter select properties… Anyway, because of your entry into the tournament that's supposedly for students of age, then at Gringotts, we see you as an adult. So, do you want to see if your family magic deems you worthy of being the new Lord Potter?" Ragnok expounded.

Harry glanced at Hermione and they shared a conversation just with the locking of his emerald green eyes to her chocolate brown ones. Ragnok watched with fascination as these two youngsters communicated before simultaneously nodding to each other.

"We'll do it, sir," Harry said with determination.

"Great." Ragnok pulled out a book-sized plank made of granite. It looked like a ward stone but it obviously wasn't because there were no runes on it. Harry had done a claiming of inheritance and reading of the wills meeting in the previous timeline but he'd never done anything like this before. _It must be because when I brought Ginny with me into the Potter family vault, I felt an angry reaction from within it… The family magic never approved of Ginny… Even after we got married, she couldn't access ninety percent of the contents of the vault… She wasn't even allowed to touch the heirloom jewelry… I should have known there was a reason behind that._

"Mr. Potter?" Ragnok prodded.

"Er, sorry, sir. Just lost in thought… So, what should I do?" Harry was confused.

"That's part of the test, Mr. Potter," Ragnok chuckled and Harry nodded.

Harry closed his eyes to concentrate on the pull on his magic. Waiting for a few minutes, he felt something from within. An instinct. A feeling that coursed through him that caused his right hand to reach out to the stone. Placing his palm on the stone, Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I, Harry James Potter, son of James Charlus Potter and Lily Marie Evans, offer my blood to show my intent to claim the lordship of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. May magic bless me and deem me worthy!" Harry felt the stone prick his finger and a droplet of blood touched the stone. It glowed white for a few seconds and when the wound healed, Harry now had a square ruby set in a thick gold band that's engraved with the words _Verum Sine Timore._

"May I be the first to congratulate you, Harry James Potter, Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, the Earl of Gloucester!" Ragnok said in earnest.

"Oh my!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What's wrong, darling?" Harry had a worried look on his face.

"Harry… look," Hermione held out her hand that now sported a new ring. Instead of her betrothal ring, she was wearing the matriarch ring that was a more delicate yet stunning version of Harry's lord ring.

"You – you're Lady Potter now! You two are time-travelers, aren't you? Only a marriage bond or an activated soul bond can cause something like this… The raw connection between you two… The brilliant plan to stop Voldemort and people like his followers…" Ragnok was dumbfounded.

Harry and Hermione were pale-faced. Their secret was out.

"Sir, we can explain – " they chorused but Ragnok held out his hand so they stopped talking.

" _A goddess, the spirit of magic within…_

_A wizard, the Master of Death…_

_Go back in time to make things right._

_Magical beings shall forth unite,_

_To prevent the darkness to reignite."_

Harry and Hermione were gobsmacked at the words Ragnok had said.

"Er, sir?" Harry prodded.

"After thousands of years, you two have arrived… The goblins and other races like us will finally be treated as equals," Ragnok muttered.

"Ah, sir?" Hermione said warily.

"Mr. Potter, Avatar Hermione, please tell me all that had happened in your previous life… With the words of this prophecy from a goblin seer many many years ago, you came back in time to right a great wrong… Please tell me all that you know." Ragnok pleaded.

Harry and Hermione Potter told the Goblin Chief of all that had happened in the previous timeline – how they defeated Voldemort, about the deaths and the darkness. More importantly, they informed Ragnok about the most important reason for their return – to prevent the birth of Rose Granger-Weasley and to save the lives of all the children that would be her victims.

oOOOOo

The new Lord and Lady Potter left Gringotts feeling overwhelmed, anxious, happy, frightened, and many other things. It was a myriad of emotions because the revelation from Director Ragnok, about another prophecy that would affect their lives was something they never expected. Of course, they knew that there would be a lot of changes that were bound to happen. That was their goal after all. But this – the Horntail as Hermione's spirit guide along with the goblin prophecy – was just too much!

They were at the Room of Requirement again after asking Dobby to pop them straight into the magical room that had become their sanctuary. It served as their safety cocoon inside the castle. A place where they could be themselves under no false pretenses of being a teenager.

When they landed in a cozy room that resembled the Granger home, the couple walked toward the couch and sat next to each other both lost in their own thoughts. The revelations they shared with Director Ragnok astounded the goblin but they were reassured that he would tell his best curse breakers to think of an alternative to the ritual that resurrected Voldemort. They were determined to twist the ritual in their favor this time around so they could avoid all the darkness, death, and danger. The Goblin Chief wanted them to defeat Voldemort and his Death Eaters before the start of the second task if that was possible.

The Director promised to talk to Amelia Bones about their plan to take down Voldemort should the curse breakers find an alternate ritual as soon as possible. Under the guise that the soul piece in Harry's scar allowed him to see parts of Voldemort's current hideout, they could plan a coup together.

Given all that they had seen of the extent of Hermione's powers, Ragnok had a theory that since the Dark Mark was vile magic anchored to Voldemort, then Hermione could wipe out all the Death Eaters at once should she succeed in removing Voldemort's magic. It was a great risk but they were determined to try. Once Voldemort was a muggle, it would be easy for Harry to deliver the final blow just to meet the basic requirement of the prophecy by Trelawney.

After all, what if the power the Dark Lord knows not was the love and support of one Hermione Granger, the Brightest Witch of the Age, and the Most Powerful Being Alive. The prophecy could be interpreted in many ways but they all agreed that it's better to take all the pureblood supremacists down in one go. Should they succeed, then it would just be Dumbledore left.

Deciding to break the comfortable silence, Harry broke the tension by trying to ask a silly question, "Hermione?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think your father would kill me for marrying you without asking his permission first?" Harry asked warily and Hermione chuckled at how adorable her new _husband_ was being.

"Well, why don't we keep this a secret – " seeing the hurt in his eyes, she held his hand, "I'm proud to be with you. As a clueless first year, after you saved me from the troll, it was a childhood dream of mine to marry you, my best friend… But Harry, I think we must keep this a secret for now… With Voldemort, the Weasleys, and the Death Eaters, who knows how they'll react when the news is made public. Also, what if Dumbledore learned about our marriage and associate it with us being time-travelers? I don't want either of us, nor our families to get hurt," she explained.

Seeing the sincerity in her warm brown eyes, Harry smiled. "I understand, Hermione. Sorry about that, it's just you know how I get insecure and how I second guess myself when it comes to – "

"Yes, the bloody Dursleys! I know…" she sighed. "We should do something to punish them for what they did to you," she muttered.

"They're not worth it, Hermione," he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

"Can we go there someday, flaunt how rich, successful, and happy you are at the very least?" She pouted.

"I'll think about it, darling… You're so cute when you're being petty and vengeful," he chuckled.

"Harry?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Do you think – do you think I can wipe out Voldemort's magic? I – I'm scared… What if I fail and he'll hurt you and well, we've been very lucky ever since our return... We have been getting our way every single time… But what if the changes we made and are trying to attempt will have dire consequences?" Hermione was teary-eyed as she asked that. Her eyes radiated the fear and the worries she felt.

"We will succeed, Hermione. We can do it together. I'll always be here… Whatever happens, I know we'll finish this together. We did it once, without all the help from the ministry and the goblins… We did it before without your Avatar powers. So, I am confident we can do it." Harry said seriously. The determination and certainty in his eyes reassured Hermione that they would be alright.

"Can we just stay here for the night? I don't want to be alone," Hermione whispered.

"Of course, darling. We'll just have Dobby pop us back to our dorms early in the morning," Harry kissed the top of her head as he cuddled closer to her.

oOOOOo

The next day, Harry, Hermione, and Neville walked toward the Ravenclaw dormitories, a habit they had become accustomed to ever since becoming friends with Luna. Harry and Hermione knew about the bullying that the blonde Ravenclaw had been subjected to in the previous timeline so they made sure to have her housemates know who was protecting Luna now. Neville asked why the couple insisted on waiting for their new friend every day and when he learned of the bullying, he became fiercely protective of Luna as well.

When Luna walked out the door, she smiled at Neville first. As she turned to her two friends, she gasped. "House Lovegood congratulates the Lord and Lady Potter on their marriage," she said with a respectful curtsy.

Harry and Hermione were shocked. Neville looked at his two friends with his jaw hanging open. The couple glanced around and thanked the heavens that it was just the four of them and the goblin guards in the hallway.

"How did you know that Luna?" Hermione asked.

Luna shrugged. "I see things other people don't. The nargles told me," she smiled at her friends.

"We hope you can keep this a secret for now. You too, Nev," Harry said.

"Of course," Neville nodded.

"Well… should we go to breakfast? I'm hungry," Luna said dreamily as she tucked her hand around Neville's arm.

"Yeah, let's… Hermione kept me up last night," Harry said cheekily.

"Harry!" Hermione elbowed him making Neville and Luna chuckle.

"We were up last night talking! You three have such perverted minds," Harry pouted.

"Nice save, mate," Neville winked and Harry wiggled his eyebrows mischievously. Luna giggled and Hermione could only roll her eyes in exasperation.

"So… Luna, how are you? No more disappearing things and all?" Hermione asked gently.

"Oh, everything's returned now… I think the blibbering humdingers are scared of you, Hermione," Hermione smiled.

"Well, they better be! Right, darling?" Harry winked.

"As they should. I'm very protective of my friends," Hermione nodded.

oOOOOo

A few days later, the announcement of the Yule Ball became the number one topic all over the castle. Hermione was very thankful that the rest of the student body now had something else to talk about. Ever since the first task, students had been gossiping about how she bonded with the Hungarian Horntail. In private, Luna asked about what happened to the dragon, she was very interested in magical creatures after all. They happily informed their friend that Gringotts would care for Blaze for now but in the summer, Hermione's spirit guide would be moved to Gloucester Manor, the seat of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter.

Since Harry was clearly off the market, the girls in the castle were following the other male champions around with hopeful looks on their faces. Sitting at breakfast with her friends, Hermione looked around and chuckled as she overheard Lavender and Pavarti talking about dresses.

Suddenly, she heard Harry clearing his throat. Turning to her secret husband, she gasped. Harry was standing in front of her holding out a very familiar shoebox. Her favorite brand of shoes – _Manolo Blahnik._

"Hermione Granger, would you do me the great honor of gracing the Yule Ball on my arm as my date?" Harry grinned.

"I'd love to," Hermione replied eagerly despite the blush on her cheeks. Harry held her hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. The cheeky prat even winked at her and she rolled her eyes. She knew what he was doing. He was doing this in public to ward off the overly persistent Viktor and Fleur.

"Try it on, Hermione!" Luna encouraged.

"May I, my Lady?" Harry grinned as he removed the royal blue stilettos encrusted with crystals that formed a rectangle on the toe box.

"Of course," Hermione happily shifted in her seat and raised her skirt. Harry knelt and removed her school shoes. He then helped her ease into the same style of pumps that she loved to wear in her previous life.

The Weasley twins stood from their seats and gave Harry a salute. "Teach us, Master! Show us the way to win the hearts of hot birds!" the twins chorused. The other Gryffindor wizards wolf-whistled while the girls swooned.

Neville followed Harry's lead and turned to Luna. "Ms. Lovegood, will you do me the great – "

"I'd love to be your date to the Yule Ball, Neville," Luna kissed him on the cheek. Neville blushed and Luna giggled.

Watching the display, the other wizards glared at Harry. The bloody Boy Who Lived just had to set the bar so high that they would have a hard time asking girls to be their dates after that. The witches at Hogwarts were so jealous of Hermione Granger because it was very obvious that their dream wizard, Harry Potter, was so enamored with her.

Ginny Weasley who watched the display, frowned deeply as tears were threatening to fall down her cheeks. The Boy Who Lived was supposed to be hers. Harry Potter was supposed to be her hero. He would make her popular, rich, and the envy of all the other witches. Her mother told her that he was hers. And now, here was her Harry lavishing Hermione Granger with a shoe that she wanted to wear but couldn't. Not only was the beautiful shoe too expensive for her but her large ugly feet couldn't fit into them. She remembered the special love potion her mother had sent over a few weeks ago. Maybe she should just dose the Boy Who Lived. If the potion brought her mother and father together, then maybe she would get her happily ever after with her Harry too.

Viktor Krum watched the byplay with venom. Harry Potter just marked his territory again. He must do something about this. He wanted Hermioninny and Viktor Krum always got what he wanted. Maybe he could challenge Potter to a duel for her hand. That way, his goddess could see who was the better man. What could a fourteen-year-old wizard do to him after all?

Fleur Delacour realized that instead of wanting 'Ermione Granger for herself, maybe she could offer to be the third person in the Potter–Granger tandem. 'Arry Potter was not bad looking. Maybe the Boy Who Lived would accept her offer to share 'Ermione with her. _Oui! I should approach 'Arry about sharing 'Ermione…_

Ron could only glare at Harry as his former best mate paraded his immense wealth in front of everyone again. Harry already got the girl. Why did he have to boast of that fact in such a grand display? Hermione was supposed to be his. According to his mother, he needed a strong and brilliant woman to keep him in line. _Oh well, Harry can have Hermione. She's not a hot bird so I'll find someone better…_

oOOOOo

After checking if the clue in the golden egg was the same as in the last timeline, a dazed Harry walked back to his dormitory with a shit-eating grin on his face. Not only was the clue the same, which meant that he only needed some _gillyweed_ to ace the task but the highlight of his entire week was that Hermione joined him underwater. Since they were using the Room of Requirement, Harry was treated to a very enticing view of his wife dressed in nothing but a bikini and the water droplets dripping down her skin.

When he pushed his bed curtains away, he noticed a box settled in the center of the mattress. Seeing a note, he read, ' _to my dearest Harry, I made these cookies to show my unwavering love for you. Your Hermione_.'

Looking closely at the handwriting, he smirked. This wasn't Hermione's elegant scrawl. He opened the box and inhaled the cookies. It smelled of jasmine, parchment, vanilla, and treacle tart. _Bingo! Now we have something to use so we could take down Molly, Ginny, and Ron._

Glancing around the dormitory, he sighed in relief when he could hear Ron's loud snoring from his bed. It was time to cross out another problem on their to-do list. So, he grabbed the box and headed downstairs.

He was surprised when he saw that Hermione was already sitting there in the common room. Since she was all alone, he noticed that she was conjuring flames in her hand and kept on transferring it to and fro like a ball. It was like watching her juggle balls of fire. The deep frown on her face and the box in front of her said it all. She was livid because she received a special box too.

"Hello, darling! I got your special cookies that showed your unwavering love for me," Harry said sarcastically and she chuckled.

"That's what your note said?" She asked and he nodded.

"What does yours say?" He sat beside her.

"I didn't get cookies. I got a hideous locket with a note that says, _wear this to the Yule Ball as a sign of my love,_ " she snorted.

"What shall we do now, my darling?" Harry smirked.

"We take them down," Hermione growled.

"Your viciousness is such a turn on," Harry kissed her cheek.

"Let's take these to Sharpfang and Riptooth outside… They'll take it to Director Ragnok and tomorrow, we'll be making headlines again," Hermione smirked.

"That's my girl," Harry winked.

Together, they walked hand-in-hand and exited the portrait hole with their _special boxes_ and the love notes attached to them.

oOOOOo

Ginny Weasley woke up feeling excited for the day. She woke up early, got ready, and went down to the common room expecting to find her Harry waiting for her. She shrugged. Maybe he was still sleeping and dreaming about her. She felt giddy at the thought. She was confident that her plan would work.

In as much as she hated to accept it, her Harry was madly in love with Hermione. So, as soon as he spotted the box and the letter supposedly written by his betrothed, she was certain that he'd immediately sample the cookies.

Her mother had reassured her that her special formula of love potions was foolproof. Molly Prewett successfully married Arthur Weasley after all. If her mother and father had their happily ever after with seven children, then Ginny Weasley was confident that she would get her happy ending with her Harry too.

With her getting Harry through the cookies and Hermione wearing the necklace keyed to Ron, one day, they would all be One Big Happy Weasley Family. With the Boy Who Lived and the Brightest Witch of the Age as official members of the Weasley family, no one would ever look down on their family again.

As she made her way to the Great Hall, she could feel herself floating on air because she was so happy. Her dreams were finally coming true.

oOOOOo

The Golden Couple had a long night. After seeing the sketchy gifts on their beds, they covertly left Hogwarts with Sharpfang and Riptooth so they could report the attempt to separate them.

Of course, Director Ragnok was livid and he called for Minister Bones and Rita Skeeter. The minister then called her boyfriend, Sirius Black, who in turn brought Remus, Emma, Dan, and Tonks. With all these people severely angered by the lame attempt at mind control and line theft, Ragnok and Amelia sent their best warriors and aurors to arrest Molly Weasley.

As soon as they were back at Hogwarts just a few minutes before sunrise, they planned to act like nothing was wrong. They needed to catch those involved in the plot off guard. So, they decided to lounge about in the Room of Requirement and sent a Patronus to Neville that they would be meeting him by the moving tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy so they could fetch Luna at the Ravenclaw Tower together.

After briefing Neville and Luna about the attempt to dose them with potions and mind-control spells, their two loyal friends were angered on their behalf. Neville wanted to strangle Ron who was still snoring away in their dormitory while Luna wanted to curse Ginny with everlasting pimples. The ardent support of their friends made Harry and Hermione chuckle. They were very lucky to have earned Luna and Neville's friendship indeed.

When Dobby gave them the signal that Ginny and Ron were now at the Great Hall, the four friends had matching mischievous glints on their faces as they prepared for the bedlam that would surely happen.

oOOOOo

Ginny Weasley couldn't take it anymore. Her Harry was supposed to be all over her right now. Instead, he was busy alternately feeding Hermione and accepting the food she was handing out to him. Her Harry would lean in and whisper something to Hermione's ear and she would giggle with her cheeks flushing pink.

This wasn't supposed to happen! Harry should have broken his betrothal to Hermione by now and she would gladly accept it so she could be with Ron.

Ginny glanced at her brother who was also astounded that their attempts to snag Harry and Hermione had failed. In fact, the Golden Couple seemed to be more enamored with each other.

She sighed. Maybe she would have to increase the dose later. She was prepared to wait. She was determined to be Mrs. Harry Potter after all.

While Ginny was a patient girl, her brother, Ron, was a stupid, impatient, and jealous git who destroyed all her plans with his raging temper. At the first loud bellow from her idiotic brother, all the careful planning she made and the potion brewing their mother had done went down the drain.

"What the hell is wrong with you two? Why are you still all over Potter, Hermione? You're supposed to be with me now!" Ron hissed angrily as he stood from the bench, chicken leg in one hand. The people sitting near him threw him intense glares because he was sputtering food and saliva all over them.

Harry winked at Hermione who only smirked in reply. With an arm wrapped around his wife, Harry turned to their once best friend, "Why would you ever think that Hermione would be all over you by now, Ron? What did you do? Give Hermione a love potion?" He said this in a loud voice and the people who heard him gasped in surprise.

"I – I – well, I – " Ron stammered. His face turned red due to anger, confusion, and nerves.

"Mr. Potter! How dare you accuse another student of such vile – " Albus Dumbledore's angry rant was interrupted when the door to the Great Hall opened and a group of goblins and aurors entered with Minister Amelia Bones, Cornelius Fudge, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and the Granger parents in tow.

"We have a warrant of arrest for Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Ginevra Molly Weasley, and Ronald Billius Weasley!" Minister Bones' voice could be heard throughout the Great Hall since every student and member of the staff was stunned into silence at the shocking turn of events. They had seen so many astounding events this year but no one ever expected to see the day wherein the great Albus Dumbledore would be handed a warrant of arrest.

"My dear Amelia – "

"Shut up you old coot! We already have Molly Weasley in custody and she spilled the beans. Your muggle potioneer, Severus Snape, also told us everything he knows. The health and magical diagnostics on Ms. Hermione Granger, Mr. Harry Potter, and the former Minister provide more evidence as to the list of crimes you will be held accountable for… Surrender now, Albus Dumbledore!" Amelia said in a calm and cold voice.

"You can't do this to me!" Dumbledore hissed.

"Aurors, take the two Weasleys now," Amelia told the aurors.

Ginny and Ron were about to run for the door when they felt something stopping them. Looking down, they understood why. Hermione used her powers to lock their feet on the floor with rocks.

"Hermione, please!" Ron cried.

"What you attempted to do to me and Harry was beyond criminal, Ron. You deserve everything coming your way," Hermione said coldly. The aurors took their wands as evidence and their hands were tied by magic suppression cuffs. The rocks on their feet disappeared and the two youngest Weasleys were escorted outside.

"We can do this hard way or the easy way, Albus," Amelia said.

"You will never – "

" _Expelliarmus!"_ Professor McGonagall disarmed the headmaster to the surprise of everyone.

"Minerva, how could you – "

"I'm sorry, Albus… But if you truly were innocent, you would have nothing to fear… Something just doesn't feel right with the way things have been happening recently. We all just want answers and I think you're the only one who can answer them. Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger have been through so much in their entire Hogwarts career… I feel that it's just not a coincidence at all…" Minerva McGonagall sighed sadly.

"Fawkes!" Albus called for his bonded phoenix. When a flash of flame appeared, he had a look of victory in his eyes. To his horror, the phoenix flew toward Harry Potter and Hermione Granger instead. This made him extremely angry. He now knew who to blame.

"You! You caused all of this!" He angrily shouted while pointing to Hermione Granger. Instead of feeling frightened, Harry and Hermione walked closer toward the great manipulator. They stopped when they reached the place where their family and friends stood.

"You caused all of this on yourself, headmaster. For leaving my Harry to suffer at the Dursleys, for causing Sirius to rot in Azkaban, for blocking my powers, for dosing Mr. Fudge with loyalty potions that weakened his mind," Hermione replied calmly.

Letting his anger get the better of him, he moved to strangle this impertinent little witch who had caused the downfall of all his plans. Before he could reach Hermione though, he was hit by a flame of fire, a wave of water, a gust of wind, and the ground he stood on suddenly had a crack.

He gasped. Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, and Harry Potter were now able to perform elemental magic. This should never be allowed! Hermione Granger now had followers just like a certain Dark Lord who was existing as a wraith.

"You shall not harm my best friend!" Luna Lovegood said angrily as she dropped a wave of water on the headmaster again.

"Yeah! Hermione has done nothing wrong and she is a good student. Helping the rest of us, slaying dementors, and other great things… What did she ever do to you?" Neville seconded.

"Aye! Yer shouldn't hurt Hermione, sir!" Seamus agreed as he sent a small flash of flame that lightly burnt the headmaster's robe again.

"Fine! I'll go with the aurors! But you'll regret this! You have a future Dark Lady in your midst! A Dark Lady that even now, has a steady group of followers that can perform elemental magic! A Dark Lady with goblin – "

"Shut your gob, Albus Dumbledore!" Everyone who had seen Hermione do this before winced. She was glowing again and she spoke in the unified tongues of all the incarnations of the Avatar.

"You tried to weaken my magic so that I won't realize my real identity. You played with the fate of an innocent child, Harry Potter. You destroyed a man who only wanted to serve his fellowmen, Cornelius Fudge. I am very tempted to remove your magic. But even that isn't punishment enough… This is for all the pain you've caused in the lives of people you have manipulated through the years…" Avatar Hermione focused on the blood coursing through the veins of the old wizard.

"Ahhh! What are you doing to me?" Albus Dumbledore screamed in pain as his body submitted to the command of the young witch with the spirit of magic within her.

Avatar Hermione bent the blood in the old wizard's body to have him submit to her will. She forced him to kneel and to hold his hands out in surrender.

"Aurors! Goblin guards! Bind him now… He won't be able to fight you anymore." The Avatar addressed the valiant group tasked to capture the wizard who was esteemed as second only to Merlin.

Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt were the ones who stepped forward to bind the headmaster with magical suppression cuffs as Sharpfang and Riptooth had their blades at the ready. When the headmaster was securely bound, the glow in Hermione Granger dissipated.

"Just to clear the record, I, Hermione Jean Granger, never have any desires to be a Dark Lady. I only want to be an educator so I can share the ancient technique of elemental bending, the true origin of magic. If I want to rule something that would only be the house I will be building with my future husband, Harry James Potter. May magic attest to my claim. _Expecto Patronum!"_ When a lion corporeal Patronus floated around the Great Hall, everyone was amazed. The lion hovered over Harry and licked his fingers.

"Hey… this big guy feels just like me," Harry teased and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I think you have just seen a glimpse of your animagus form, Harry Potter," Luna remarked with a dreamy-eyed glint in her eyes. Harry and Hermione glanced at each other before shrugging. That was something else they most definitely wanted to learn.

When the Patronus vanished, Amelia Bones cleared her throat bringing everyone's attention back to her. "The aurors and the goblin warriors will be bringing all three in for questioning. I'll let you know when the trial will be. Since Director Ragnok is livid, to say the least, please expect the trial to be as soon as possible… We'll let you know if you need to testify."

"Thank you, Madam Bones," the Golden Couple chorused.

"Hey, pup! I guess you'll be a big bad lion then, eh?" Sirius ruffled Harry's hair while Hermione hugged her parents.

"Mum, Dad, I'd like you to meet my friends… Luna, Neville, Seamus, these are my parents, Dan and Emma," Hermione introduced.

"Bloody hell! Harry Potter, you are one lucky dog!" Seamus exclaimed and Hermione rolled her eyes while her mum felt flattered.

"Kid is right though, pup," Sirius remarked as he could see the young Hermione growing up to be as fine and elegant as her mother, Emma.

"Back off Finnigan!" Harry feigned annoyance.

"Boys! Such idiots!" Hermione huffed and everyone laughed.

Hermione Granger may be the mighty Avatar but when she's not glowing or playing with the elements, she would always be everyone's loveable know-it-all.

"Er, guys?" Fred and George chorused.

"We're sorry about your mum, Ron, and Ginny," Harry said and Hermione nodded.

"No, Harry… We're sorry on behalf of our mum and younger siblings… We truly didn't know that they were going to do that. We'll even make an oath," George said and Fred nodded his head in earnest.

"Oh, there's no need for that… We trust you two." Hermione smiled before hugging each of the twins.

"Say, Granger, have you ever considered ditching young Mr. Potter over here for two dashingly funny redhead twins?" Fred said mischievously.

"Well, if Mr. Potter screws up, I'll think about it," Hermione pretended to think.

"You're mine, Granger," Harry growled playfully as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Ohh… Are you sure about this one, Hermione? Seems like a jealous prat to me," Luna chimed in.

"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side, Luna," Harry pouted and they all shared a laugh.

Professor McGonagall decided to rein in the tension and the rumors circling the room. She pointed her wand to her throat and announced, "Students, all classes are suspended for the entire day due to the excitement this morning… Now run along and go enjoy the rest of the day but please be courteous to our guests." The students cheered at the news and the professors could only shake their heads in exasperation.

"Well, I guess we can stay for a bit then, eh?" Sirius grinned.

"Oh, mum, dad! You'll finally get to tour Hogwarts!" Hermione was bouncing with excitement. Everyone who witnessed her amazing feats of power could only smile at her right now. Despite all her powers, Hermione Granger remained the same.

The fake Moody watched all the events that had happened with both fear and delight seeping through his bones. On one hand, he was happy that the old coot Dumbledore, the enemy of his master, was out of the picture. The Dark Lord's return and victory over Britain would be much easier without Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix getting in the way. Even without Dumbledore in the picture, Barty Crouch Jr. was very afraid. With Hermione Granger firmly at Potter's side, he was certain that his master stood no chance at all. He didn't know what Granger did to Dumbledore a while ago. The screams the old coot made reminded him of a victim of a very potent _crucio._ The worst part, whatever Granger did, it was like a wandless _crucio_ mixed with an _imperio._ The little mudblood witch was just so powerful that it's making him dubious. If he were honest with himself, he knew that his master stood no chance against the beautiful little mudblood.

oOOOOo

Fleur Delacour had thought long and hard about her strategy and decided that it was best to just take the plunge. She noticed that 'Arry Potter was all alone in the library right now so she knew it was time to approach him about her offer.

She cleared her throat and 'Arry Potter looked up from his book. When she saw his startling green eyes turned wary behind his round glasses, she tried blasting him with a subtle amount of Veela allure.

"Miss Delacour, I am immune to Veela magic. I'm very in love with my Hermione so it's no use," Harry Potter said curtly and she frowned. This was harder than she thought.

"I am zorry, _Monsieur_ Potter… I just wanted to talk to you," she muttered.

"Please, sit."

"I want to be with 'Ermione, so, I am willing to share 'er with you," she went straight to the point.

She heard the raven-haired wizard sigh. "Look, Ms. Delacour, Hermione Granger is not a property you can possess. To you, she's just the Most Powerful Being Alive and that's why you want her. To me, she's my everything. She's my best friend, my girlfriend, the future mother of my kids… I love her. You want her for status or maybe to boost your magic. But for me, I need her like air. I need her to be able to live my life. So, I will only tell you this once before I blow my top the next time you try something like this again… I will never share Hermione Granger with anyone. I am hers and she is mine… I am willing to battle anything and anyone who wants to tear us apart. Is that clear?" This was said with such stern and seriousness that it seemed like his emerald green eyes were penetrating her very soul.

Fleur nodded meekly. She understood now. She never stood a chance. 'Arry and 'Ermione were it for each other. It was true love and who was she to intervene.

"I am zorry. 'Ermione eez just – "

"Yes, my Hermione is very special, I know."

"I won't bozzer you again," she promised.

"Ms. Delacour, you will find the right one for you if you focus on getting to know their character… Don't just focus on their powers," those words from 'Arry would remain with her for the rest of the day as she reflected on his advice.

oOOOOo

"Love? Are you alright?" Hermione kissed his cheek when she saw him standing outside her Arithmancy classroom.

"Fleur talked to me," he replied.

"Oh." Hermione dragged Harry to an empty classroom so they could talk. When he sat on an armchair, she gave him a look that encouraged him to spill the beans.

"Fleur told me that she was willing to share you with me and I was like oh hell no! I'm bloody pissed right now! What does she take you for? A piece of land that we could split in half! This is so annoying now. I just wanted to shout to the world that Hermione Granger is my bloody wife! I mean come on! I waited an entire lifetime for you! I bloody had to die again and go back in time and – argh! This is so annoying!" Harry ranted.

Hermione could only smile at him. "Are you done now?"

"Yes," he muttered. The frown on his face was still present.

"Good," Hermione plonked herself on his lap and proceeded to kiss him senseless.

When they pulled apart, he had a dopey look on his face that made her giggle. She pressed her forehead to his and closed her eyes. "Don't let Fleur or Viktor or anyone else bother you… I love you, Harry Potter. Fleur may be Veela and Viktor the world's best seeker but I don't want them. I want you. I love you. Do you understand that?" Her breath was fanning his face and her words were like music to his ears.

"Hermione..."

"Hmmm?"

"We have to introduce Fleur to Bill Weasley," Harry murmured.

"Oh… right. They need to get married so that Teddy can marry Victoire in the future," Hermione mused.

"Er, yes… But that's not the reason why I said that" he chuckled.

Hermione opened her eyes and she playfully swatted his shoulder. "Stop being jealous, Potter! You already have your ring on my finger," she snorted.

"But nobody else but Ragnok knows," he whined.

"So what? I love you and you love me. That's all that matters," she countered.

"Fine," he pouted.

"Harry?"

"Hmmm?"

"What color are your dress robes?"

"Do you honestly want to talk about clothes right now?"

"Well, what else is there to talk about?"

"We could use this time for more pleasant things… Help me to ease my jealousy at least," he wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

"If I snog you right now, I could have Dobby buy you new dress robes to match my dress?" She negotiated.

"Of course! I'll even wear Ron's ghastly robes," he grinned.

"If all I had to do is snog you to get you to do whatever it is that I want you to, maybe you'll end up with straight Os in your OWLS," she huffed and he nodded eagerly.

"You're lucky I love you, Potter," she rolled her eyes before leaning in to kiss him again.

When they left the unused classroom, Harry's temper was much calmer and his eyes were sparkling with joy. Luna and Neville noticed the change in his demeanor much to their amusement. The four friends proceeded to enjoy their privacy as they trained, hung out, and just enjoyed their time together in the Room of Requirement.

oOOOOo

On the day of the Yule Ball, the castle was buzzing with excitement. Two hours after lunch, Hermione and Luna bid their dates goodbye so they could start getting ready. Harry and Neville could only chuckle at that because to them, the two witches would always look beautiful even if they went to the ball in just their school uniform.

The two friends decided to make use of the Room of Requirement so they could ask for whatever it was that they needed. It would also provide them privacy from the other girls who would be panicking about their own problems with hairstyles, makeup, dresses, jewelry, and shoes.

Hermione already asked Dobby to drop off the new suit that she bought for Harry so that they would match. Since Harry bought her new shoes, she reckoned that it was time for her to up the ante of wizarding fashion just like in the previous timeline. When she climbed the ranks at the ministry, her wardrobe choices were often praised by magazines and as Harry pointed out, it helped bridge the gap between muggleborns and purebloods. Whether magical or not, women shared a love for fashion and witches paved the way for their husbands to respect the ingenuity of muggles, clothes-wise at least.

She also secretly purchased a new chic dress for herself that would highlight the gorgeous blue _Manolo Blahnik_ pumps that her husband bought for her. Harry's tie would match the color of her shoes and her dress was simple and elegant – the style that she learned to develop in her previous life.

Since she already had the periwinkle blue dress in her trunk, her mother bought it for her before September 1st, she decided to let Luna wear it instead. In the first timeline, her Ravenclaw friend didn't attend the Yule Ball since nobody asked her to go. This time around, she was going to be Neville's date and she had nothing to wear. Letting Luna wear the periwinkle dress was like hitting two birds with one stone. One, it would hopefully make Luna the belle of the ball, just like she was before. Two, it would show the bullies who disregarded _Loony Lovegood_ that she was a blooming beauty they could no longer ignore.

She felt so happy when a teary-eyed Luna hugged her in gratefulness. Luna Lovegood was her dearest friend when she aged and her connection with Harry severed. Because of that, she was determined to be the very best friend to the bullied Ravenclaw this time around. Besides, there was a pearl of unique wisdom in Luna that she started to appreciate in her later years when they became the best of friends.

Hermione did her hair and makeup and offered Luna some help as well. After that, they both got dressed. As she expected, Luna looked stunning in her periwinkle blue dress.

"Ooh… You look gorgeous, Lu! Neville's eyes will definitely pop out," she teased and the dreamy-eyed blonde blushed at the praise.

"You look beautiful too, Hermione… I've never seen a dress with that design before," Luna's eyes skimmed through her outfit and she gave a playful twirl. Luna giggled at that before adding, "muggles create the most beautiful dresses."

"I do agree, Lu. I do agree," she sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She wore an ivory one-shoulder dress. It was tight-fitted and ended an inch above her knees. What she loved about the dress was the cape that made the look very ethereal. It was modern, a perfect blend of wizarding fashion (the cape) and muggle fashion (the fit and silhouette of the dress). More importantly, it highlighted the gorgeous shoes she wore. She tied her hair in a messy chignon, with the shorter fringe of her curls framing her face. Her makeup was simple, it was barely there and the only show-stopper was the blood-red lipstick. She wore a pair of dangling ruby earrings (courtesy of the Potter vault which Dobby retrieved for her) to match the Lady Potter ring. She knew that Harry was still pouting about keeping their marriage a secret so she decided to show off her ring tonight. After all, nobody would notice the ring since the style of her dress was enough to make the purebloods talk.

"So, do you think we're ready to go?" Luna fidgeted with a shy smile.

"I think we are… Remember Luna, your best accessory is a smile. So, chin up and walk confidently. You look beautiful," she held out a hand to her friend who eagerly accepted it. With that, they exited the Room of Requirement eager to meet their dates by the grand staircase.

oOOOOo

Hermione gestured for Luna to go down the stairs first while she hid in a corner to enjoy the reactions of the crowd. As expected, every person in the Great Hall was drawn to the beautiful petite blonde witch. She even giggled when she saw the gobsmacked look on Neville's face that caused Harry to need to elbow the besotted wizard to get his brain to start working again.

_Mission accomplished,_ she mused.

When Neville recovered and Luna joined both boys at the end of the stairs, it was her turn to meet her husband. She took a deep calming breath. She remembered Harry's reaction to seeing her in the gown Luna was wearing right now. Even if she knew that he loved her very much, she still felt a little nervous. The nerves were a normal reaction because every girl wanted to attract the boy they loved after all.

Steeling her nerves, she slowly walked to the stairs. She could hear gasps, whispers, and the stunned reactions of everyone else but she didn't care. She had her eyes on Harry who was looking at her with the same intensity that he once had in their previous life. While that version of Harry looked at her with surprise and attraction, the Harry in front of her made her feel so much love, desire, and passion that it made her knees weak. His emerald green eyes sparkled with an intensity that she could feel herself getting lost in them.

Harry held out a hand for her to take and she immediately accepted it. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the Lady Potter ring no longer concealed by charms. And then, he broke into a wide smile that melted her heart.

"Good evening, my lady. You take my breath away," he whispered as he kissed her knuckles. His emerald green eyes seemed to penetrate her very soul and she blushed.

"Thank you, Harry. You clean up real nice yourself," she grinned.

Harry tucked her hand on his arm and he turned to their friends. "Nev, Lu, we'll hang with you once all the formal stuff is over," Harry said with exasperation and they all chuckled at that.

"Of course, mate. We'll see you later," Neville grinned and Luna waved at them. When Neville and Luna joined the table occupied by Seamus, Dean, Lavender, and Parvati, Harry turned to his wife.

"Well, Lady Potter, it seems that you're wearing your ring proudly tonight," he whispered to her ear. His eyes were sparkling with joy. He wanted to shout to the rooftops that this amazing and gorgeous witch was his wife. For now, he was satisfied that she wore her ring with pride.

"Consider this as a preview of our wedding, my lord. Besides, I wanted to showcase my shoes so I decided to wear white," she whispered back.

"You look beautiful, darling," he said.

"Thank you. You look handsome too," she replied.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger there you are – Oh my! Is that!?" Professor McGonagall pointed to the ring on Hermione's finger.

"It's an heirloom, Professor. I wanted Hermione to have it," Harry shrugged.

Minerva McGonagall glanced around the room to make sure that they wouldn't be overheard by prying ears. Seeing that everyone was focused on their own business, she whispered, "I was very close to your grandmother, Harry… I know about the magic in that ring. So are you two – "

"Yes, Professor. We are. Hermione is my soulmate," Harry cut her off with a proud smile.

"Oh… I see. Well, congratulations to you two! I do hope you'll keep this a secret. The ring won't attract much attention right now because it's a ball. During normal days though, please use concealment charms until you're ready to announce your wedding ceremonies," the professor advised.

"Thank you, professor," the couple chorused.

"Well then, please follow me… The champions and their dates have a place of honor," the professor beckoned them to follow so they happily obeyed.

oOOOOo

Harry looked at Hermione and he still couldn't believe that she managed to exceed his expectations of her beauty in the elegant white dress she wore tonight. Seeing her like this reminded him of the beautiful and sophisticated witch she would grow up to be.

The crass whispers of horny bastards in the ministry used to call her the _Most Fuckable Witch in the Ministry and_ when she became the minister, they called her the _Minister I'd Like to Fuck._ He could not help but stare at her, not believing his luck that this time around, she was his wife.

While the young Hermione in her periwinkle dress was a stunning beauty, the belle of the ball, this Hermione – _his Hermione –_ looked so much better in his eyes. She looked so confident, so powerful, and so elegant. _Merlin! I am a lucky bastard!_

"Harry… Stop staring," Hermione rolled her eyes from her seat beside him.

"Er, sorry, it's just – well you looked so beautiful the first time around, the periwinkle blue dress looked amazing on you... but this," he gestured to her dress before continuing, "wow!"

"Well, I was once a MILF as you said. I reckoned this dress had the same vibe… I was going for that look," she winked and he chuckled.

"Hermione, when did you get your teeth fixed? I even forgot about them and when I saw you tonight I remembered that Malfoy wasn't able to curse you this time so – " he shrugged.

"I was thinking you'd never remember that," she chuckled before she whispered, "as soon as we got back here, I performed shrinking charms every day… Bit by bit until I reached the size I wanted," she continued.

"Krum is glaring at me so intently right now that I could feel him wishing for my head to explode," he whispered and she chuckled.

"Just ignore him… He's bound to give up soon. I mean Fleur is much calmer now," she whispered back.

"This Yule Ball is so much better than my last one," he remarked and she chuckled.

When the champions were asked to dance, Harry and Hermione stole the show. Their movements were graceful, elegant, and the chemistry between them was so intense that the audience was just mesmerized.

Cho and Cedric were also evenly matched because even if the Hufflepuff wasn't a great dancer, at least he only had eyes for his beautiful date. Meanwhile, Viktor and his date, a Slytherin sixth year, looked like fools on the dance floor. The Bulgarian Seeker kept stepping on his date's feet because he was too engrossed with watching Hermione Granger instead, much to the consternation of his partner.

Fleur, on the other hand, was busy warding off the advances of the drooling Roger Davies. Finally, when the dance opened for all students, the mismatched couples broke off to seek their friends. Harry and Hermione, as well as Cho and Cedric, remained on the dance floor as the rest of the students joined them.

The Golden Couple had so much fun during the ball. They each danced with Neville and Luna while Hermione twirled on George and Fred Weasley's arms as well. It was so much better than the awkward ball that happened in the previous timeline.

Viktor Krum spent the rest of the night green with envy. He could only hope that Harry Potter would seriously get hurt in the last two tasks. That way, he could show the lovely and powerful Hermioninny who was the better wizard.

oOOOOo

In the depths of Gringotts, a curse breaker and a goblin researcher used the knowledge they had coerced from the potions master, Severus Snape, about the resurrection ritual Voldemort was bound to perform so he could regain a new body. Finally, after days of rigorous research, they found the answer to their questions about how they could twist the ritual to end the Dark Wanker forever.

The goblin researcher all but ran towards the Office of the Chief of the Goblin Nation. It was time to help Avatar Hermione and the Wizard of Prophecy in ending the darkness that was Voldemort.

Upon receiving the good news from the researchers, Ragnok had a sinister grin on his face. After years of suffering from the tyranny of the purebloods, the dawning of a new era of equality and prosperity would soon arise.

Voldemort was going to die soon and with his death, it would be easier to wipe out all the Death Eaters. With that in mind, he summoned a quill to write a letter to the Lord and Lady Potter. He must schedule a meeting soon. Together with Minister Bones, they could all join forces and plan their final attack on the dark wizard that was Tom Marvolo Riddle…

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bloodbending is one of the worst things that could happen to a person in the Avatar universe. Yikes! Imagine a crucio and an imperio combined. Then again, energy bending removes the ability to perform elemental magic so I'm not sure which is worse.
> 
> Manolo Blahnik is a real luxury shoe brand. Hermione's got a classy elegant style, okay?
> 
> On a side note, I think this my first ever Yule Ball moment. Huh! Weird.
> 
> Lastly, I'll be signing off on this fic for some time. I'm working on editing my Dark Lord Harry Potter story, All Because of You. I'm also writing a big chapter for my Master of Death Harry Potter story, My Cheating Heart, so I'll be busy with other fics. (Check them out if you want)
> 
> Those two aforementioned stories along with God Save The Children are all intense and action-packed so I'm truly missing my classic fluffy and smutty pieces. Maybe I'll write a fic that features a bisexual Hermione soon. Or I'll add a chapter to my kid Harmony fics. I need to take a break from writing such intense scenes. So, I'll take a stab on something light-hearted and fluffy. Sorry if this is bad news for you but I actually write things I want to read and in as much as intense stories have me on the edge of my seat, a girl just needs some 'aww' inducing moments from time to time.


	6. In Complacency, Lessons Are Learned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome Back to God Save The Children. Hi! How are ya?
> 
> Since TinkStar87 says that this story is her second favorite out of all my stories (after My Cheating Heart), a big shoutout to you girl!
> 
> Also, thank you The Ghostly Minion for dropping the most insightful reviews. Your feedback is a breath of fresh air from the usual 'update please.'
> 
> Lastly, thank you StruggleMuggle for being my beta. You rock!

**In Complacency, Lessons Are Learned**

Draco Malfoy knew that he made the right choice when he decided to swear his allegiance to the House of Potter. If not for the certainty that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger would one day rule the British Magical Community as its future leaders, then the fact that they were very nice people who could help him change himself and the House of Malfoy for the better was a good enough reason for supporting the Golden Couple.

Ever since his father's incarceration, life started to get better for him. Yes, he might have lost his _influence_ in Slytherin, even his supposed wingmen, Crabbe and Goyle, abandoned him but he'd never felt as at peace with himself as he did now. He felt so content to be away from the clutches of his father. That way, he and his mother could finally start anew. Maybe he'd reshape the bad reputation of the Malfoy name into something good.

What he loved most about his new status as a nobody in the house of snakes was the fact that he could easily blend in and eavesdrop on conversations. It was easy to discover secrets and plans that way.

The biggest blessing of all, however, was the cancelation of his betrothal contract to Pansy Parkinson. Since Edmund Parkinson was wary of how long he would be able to hold on to the Malfoy wealth, he opted out so his precious daughter could search for a better offer. He was so relieved when he got the letter while Pansy cried her heart out.

There was only one thing left to do. He had to make sure that he would rebuild the dark history of the name of Malfoy by doing something worthwhile. And then, he would approach Lord Adrian Greengrass so he could formally start courting Astoria, the only girl who truly saw through him. She was the girl who made him so happy when he was a little boy that he actually promised to himself that he would marry her one day. Astoria was the only person who saw him as just Draco. She played with him and talked to him like he was a normal person. She never saw him as a rich heir. She only wanted to befriend him.

Since the Malfoys were known to be of the darker allegiance while the Greengrass family were neutrals, Lord Greengrass was wary of him. Because of that, he only got to see Astoria during parties their families were both invited to. With Pansy always following him around, it was hard to spend more time with the girl whom he truly thought of as his one true friend.

At least when Astoria started going to Hogwarts, he could see her every day from her chosen spot in the Hufflepuff table. Her being in Hufflepuff just highlighted why he had always liked her. She was kind, good, and special. He wanted to be like her. And now, he could finally have that chance.

Nobody but Daphne, his fellow Slytherin and Astoria's older sister, knew about his secret friendship with Astoria. Now that they were both at Hogwarts, he handed Daphne letters for Astoria and thankfully, Daphne agreed. Daphne suspected that he had special feelings for Astoria but he shrugged it off as brotherly affection. Someday though, when she was older, he was determined to pursue Astoria and to one day gain her approval. He truly believed that there's no one else who could make him become a better person. He wanted to be better for Astoria. She inspired him to see goodness and light. So, he would gladly change himself for the better.

With his resolve to do good and to be worthy of someone like Astoria, he walked toward the corner of the library that he knew was frequented by Hermione Granger and her closest friends. He had important news to tell Harry Potter. As their spy and ally in Slytherin, he had to tell them about a vicious plot against the Golden Couple.

oOOOOo

Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Luna looked up from their books when they heard a throat clearing. When they saw the worried glint in Draco Malfoy's eyes, Harry started the conversation.

"Malfoy? Is there anything – "

"Potter," Draco started to say but he glanced around. He was about to speak again when Hermione held her hand up. Hermione flicked her wand and muttered charms that would prevent them from getting overheard and seen. It would do them no good if everyone knew about their secret alliance with Draco Malfoy. What use would he be as a spy if everyone saw them together?

"Sorry, Draco. Just had to make sure that you wouldn't be seen," Hermione said.

"Yeah, sorry about approaching you here in such a public place but there's something you should know," Draco continued and the Golden Couple nodded. Neville and Luna knew better than to intervene in the conversation. They sensed that there was more to the dynamic between their two friends and Malfoy so they kept quiet.

"I overheard that Viktor Krum plans to challenge you to an honor duel tomorrow morning at the Great Hall. According to pureblood tradition, honor duels for a maiden's hand is customary most especially when the lady in question is a popular one – "

"That conceited self-centered git! What the hell am I? A piece of land? A trophy to be won?" Hermione said with gritted teeth. Her right hand that was holding a quill tightened into a fist before a tiny ball of flame burned the feather.

"Darling, stop," Harry gently gripped Hermione's arm as he shot a gust of wind to the flame in her hand.

Hermione snapped out of it and she blushed when she saw the ashes. Luna was quick on the uptake and she immediately handed her friend a new one.

"Thanks, Lu. I'm sorry, love. You too, Draco. It's just – argh! It just makes me so angry how women are treated as property to be stamped ownership on," Hermione was much calmer now.

"I understand, Hermione. Er, there's more to the plan but, er, you might want to calm down first," Draco said awkwardly. He was frightened of her reaction to the next bit of news.

Harry chuckled as he wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders. When the couple nodded, Draco took a deep calming breath before he started speaking again.

"Viktor Krum already has a second in mind, a big bad guy in Durmstrang. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to catch the name though. Anyway, he's bragging about getting you seriously injured Harry, not just physically but mentally, I think. He says he has this special spell just for you. I'm sure you know that only the Unforgivable Curses are not allowed during honor duels. I'm so sorry but that's all I was able to gather," he shrugged.

"Wow…" Harry muttered.

"I'm not a great wizard Harry but I'll be your second," Neville volunteered.

"I want to – "

"Sorry, Hermione. You can't be the second because, er, you're the one they're fighting over," Draco interrupted Hermione's words.

"Thank you so much for telling us about this, Draco," Hermione smiled gratefully.

"Of course," he nodded.

"Maybe we should go to the _room_ and train," Luna suggested.

"Er, I guess I should go – " Draco was about to turn away but Harry called his name.

"Do you want to join us?" Harry inquired. Draco glanced at Hermione who nodded in encouragement.

"Are you sure?" Draco hesitantly asked.

"Of course, we are… Lu, Nev, you're fine with Draco joining us, right?" Hermione turned to their other friends.

"Well, I trust you guys, so if you say he's okay, then why not?" Luna shrugged.

"I suppose so. Malfoy's been a right git to us but if he came all the way here to warn you guys, then I guess he's alright," Neville said.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for being a right git, Longbottom. You too Lovegood," Draco said sincerely. Luna only smiled at Draco while Neville gave him a pensive look before nodding at him.

"Great! Since nobody can know about our alliance, I hope you're fine with hiding underneath a cloak, Draco," Harry chuckled.

"A Cloak?! Oh… I see…" Draco finally understood how the Boy Who Lived managed to go sneaking about the castle without ever getting caught.

"Here you go," Harry threw a silky cloak in his direction which he easily caught with both hands.

"Er, Hermione?" Draco muttered shyly.

"Yes?" Hermione replied as she gathered her things.

"Do you think – er, can you show me how to be an elemental?" He asked.

"Of course! I want to help others learn their elemental affinity… Do you feel a connection to a particular element? Like Seamus with fire, Nev with Earth, Harry Air?" Hermione's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Well I don't know really, maybe I'm just ordinary. I haven't felt a particular pull like that," Draco replied.

"All wizards and witches have a natural elemental affinity. It's the origin of magic after all. Anyway, I guess I'll have to see what your affinity is. I'm so excited! I've never checked a person's affinity before because Harry, Nev, Lu, and Seamus have always known their affinity so I directly showed them the basic techniques for their elements. This will be so fun!" Hermione gushed. Neville and Luna chuckled at her display of excitement while Harry only kissed the top of her head.

"Wow! Um, thank you," Draco was surprised at Hermione Granger's willingness to help. Considering the shit he put her through in their years at Hogwarts, he was astounded at her kindness.

"You're welcome. That's what friends are for. Besides, as the Avatar, it's my responsibility to help people," Hermione shrugged. When the four friends stood from their seats, Draco hid under the Cloak of Invisibility as he followed the group.

oOOOOo

"Well… Welcome to the Room of Requirement, Draco!" Harry gestured around the room that provided them with their training area. There was an area for Luna so she could play with water, a place filled with rocks for Neville, an empty space for him so he could practice air bending, and what should have been Seamus' area for fire bending was now just an empty space since they didn't know Draco's affinity yet.

"How did you guys know about this room?" Draco was awed.

"A very special friend," Hermione answered with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"So… what should I do?" Draco asked as he rubbed his arm to calm his nerves.

"Just stand over there and I'll come to you," Hermione replied. "Er, Nev, Lu, love, maybe you guys should start with your warm-ups?"

"Nah! Later. I want to watch this," Harry grinned and the other two nodded at that.

"Oh alright!" Hermione rolled her eyes as she walked to Draco.

Hermione gently pressed her right hand on Draco's forehead while her left hand was pressed on his chest. "Close your eyes, Draco," she said to him. When Draco followed her instruction, she too closed her eyes and focused her attention on the magic that she could feel from within him.

Hermione glowed for a few minutes before she let go of Draco Malfoy. When she opened her eyes, the glow dissipated. "You're a fire bender, Draco. You're just like Seamus," she grinned.

"Oh. Wow! My element's fire. Amazing, I thought I was like Harry, an air – er, bender, that's the term, right?" Draco was shocked.

"Yes, a person who can manipulate the elements is called a bender… So, love, Nev, Lu, I want to see you start with the basics. Nev, I want to see you do the stance. Focus on the vibrations on the ground. Lu, I want you to practice with the flow of the water, the waves, the push and pull of the tide… Love, well, you'll be practicing on the air glider soon, so you should focus on your balance and breath… Draco, you come with me," Hermione said.

Draco gulped as he followed Hermione to the empty space. He was certain that he wanted to learn elemental magic. He had to admit though that he was slightly afraid of his teacher. Who wouldn't be afraid of the Brightest Witch of the Age and the Most Powerful Elemental Mage in Britain?

The rest of the afternoon, Hermione taught Draco the fundamentals of keeping the warmth in a fire bender's breath. When Hermione showed him the twelve positions of the Dancing Dragon, he was mesmerized and determined to master fire bending even more.

After showing Draco the basics, Harry and Neville practiced a combined technique of dueling spells and elemental bending in preparation for Viktor Krum's challenge tomorrow. Both wizards dueled against Luna, Hermione, and Draco just to strengthen their team dynamics and to heighten their awareness.

When Draco separated from the four just in time for dinner in the Great Hall, he felt relieved that Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom could successfully win a duel against Viktor Krum and his second. More importantly, he was happy to learn something new and to have made new allies – well friends – in the people whom his father wanted him to despise. Oddly enough, he only found acceptance, understanding, and support in his new circle that comprised of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood. For him, the fact that they easily accepted him into their fold meant a lot given how much he bullied them in the past.

There really was goodness and kindness in people. And for that, he was so honored to have been accepted by them. Not only was he learning something new, but he also found a group of people whom he truly wanted to be friends with. Maybe by spending time with them, he could change into a better person – someone he aspired to be.

oOOOOo

The next day, Harry and Hermione were on alert as they met in the Gryffindor Common Room. If Krum were to push through with his plans today, they knew they were ready. Neville and Harry had awesome dynamic as a dueling tandem but they couldn't help feeling worried. They have easily conquered the challenges they have faced so far due to their knowledge from their past timeline but this – Viktor challenging Harry for Hermione's hand – was something that they never expected to happen.

Also, despite the intelligence from Draco Malfoy about Krum's plan, they didn't know about his mysterious second. They also didn't know about the spell that Krum wanted to use on Harry which made them even more anxious.

Hermione already briefed Sharpfang and Riptooth about the possibility of trouble happening this morning. The goblins wanted to pull them out of Hogwarts right away but Harry insisted that he needed to defend their relationship. If he hid behind the goblin guards, he would appear weak and undeserving of Hermione. So, they reluctantly agreed. Sharpfang growled though that should Viktor and his second try an Unforgivable Curse, they would be cleaning dragon shit for the rest of their lives in the dungeons of Gringotts.

When Neville walked down the stairs, he had a determined glint in his eyes as he nodded to his two friends who were cuddling on the couch. Harry returned the gesture while Hermione smiled at him. The couple stood from the couch and together, all three friends walked to Ravenclaw Tower. All three of them were quiet and lost in their own thoughts.

Luna was already waiting outside her dorm so when her friends arrived, they were shocked. She only gave them a dreamy smile as she said, "I know that you're all stressed out, so I reckon that it's best to wait for you here."

Luna hugged each of her three friends before she took Neville's arm as they walked towards the Great Hall.

oOOOOo

As the benches of the Great Hall slowly filled up with students, the four friends were uneasy. When Harry's eyes connected with Draco's and the blonde Slytherin gave a discreet nod, the message was immediately understood. Krum's plan would push through.

"Hermione, I just got the signal from Draco. It's still on," Harry whispered to Hermione's ear. She turned to him and sighed. They both wanted to avoid any confrontation of sorts. They had more important things to focus on – the final battle with Voldemort. They really didn't need minor distractions like Viktor Krum and his silly obsessions.

They heard a clearing of a throat and they turned to Neville. Their fellow Gryffindor gestured with his lip seemingly pointing to a particular direction. Harry discreetly glanced to where Neville was gesturing to and he immediately gripped the Elder Wand in his pocket. Hermione feigned nonchalance but he could feel her preparing for an attack since she was deeply breathing – the most important part of fire bending. In case there would be foul play, she was clearly eager to provide back-up.

"Excuse me," the gruff voice of Viktor Krum interrupted their breakfast.

"Hello, Mr. Krum? What can we do for you?" Harry asked with his arm wrapped around Hermione's waist. It was an action that didn't escape Viktor's notice and he immediately frowned at that.

"I vant to challenge you for Hermioninny's hand. I think you don't deserve her," Viktor said formally and everyone gasped.

Harry turned to Hermione who now had a prominent frown on her face before facing Viktor once again. "My Hermione is not a piece of land that anyone can just challenge me for – but I accept! You only want her because of her powers. But for me, I love her because she's my best friend, my fiercest supporter, and she's the one I can't imagine living my life without. So… If I have to defend my right to be with the love of my life then I accept. I'll do anything for Hermione," Harry said passionately. He was looking into the warm chocolate brown eyes that bewitched his very soul as he held Hermione's hand. He raised her hand and pressed his lips against her knuckles.

"You better defeat this _wizard_ in under ten minutes, Potter! If not, you're not getting snogged for a month," Hermione said mischievously and he chuckled.

"As you wish, my lady," Harry winked before he stood from his seat.

"Choose your second," Viktor said.

"Neville Longbottom," before Harry could say Neville's last name, the Gryffindor already stood from his seat beside Luna.

Viktor looked at Harry and then to Neville before he released a sinister chuckle. "You honestly think you can defeat me and my second with _this_ ," Viktor gestured to Neville. The Longbottom heir gritted his teeth but he reined his temper in. No need to lose one's cool during a fight. A hothead could only cause one's downfall.

"Neville Longbottom is our best friend. He's a great wizard," Hermione defended Neville.

"I'll show you what a great wizard really is, my sweet," Viktor said smugly and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Mr. Krum, Mr. Potter! What is the meaning of this?" Minerva McGonagall, the newly appointed headmistress, finally snapped out of her shock and she hurriedly approached the arguing wizards.

"The House of Krum is challenging the House of Potter for the hand of Ms. Granger," Viktor replied.

"Mister, I mean, Lord Potter is this true?" the headmistress wanted confirmation from her cub. It was such a difficult concept to understand. How could this idiot Bulgarian think that Hermione would just give up on Harry like that? Also, did Viktor Krum actually think that Harry Potter would easily hand over his soulmate just like that? There must be something in Durmstrang that's making their students such stupid idiots, with a cowardly Death Eater for a headmaster what could you really expect.

"I'm afraid so, headmistress. In fact, I've known about his plans since I have an ally who told me," Harry answered.

"I see… Ms. Granger are you sure about this?"

"Of course, headmistress. I'm sure my Harry and Neville can win this silly duel." Hermione Granger sounded so exasperated that the headmistress wanted to laugh. To keep her stern reputation though, she stopped herself from chuckling and glared at the Durmstrang Champion instead.

"Professor Flitwick, maybe you can assist in this duel?" the headmistress called the new deputy.

"Of course, headmistress… So, do you boys have a schedule for this duel?" Professor Flitwick who trailed behind the headmistress, along with the other heads of house, panted his reply.

"I vant it now," Viktor insisted and Professor Flitwick glanced at Harry.

"Might as well get it over with," Harry shrugged.

Professor McGonagall sighed. She was confident that Harry Potter could do this. The lad defeated a basilisk for Merlin's sake. The sixty-foot basilisk who dared to petrify Hermione Granger at that! So, she knew that this would just be like a walk in the park for her cub. Maybe by showing to the rest of the wizards what he was willing to do to defend his relationship with his soulmate – his wife in secret – no one would ever challenge Harry Potter for Hermione Potter nee Granger's hand ever again.

Pointing her wand to her throat, the headmistress announced, "all students who want to watch the honor duel between the House of Krum and the House of Potter for the hand of Ms. Hermione Granger, please proceed to the Quidditch Pitch. Classes in the morning are suspended."

"Mr. Longbottom shall be Mr. Potter's second… Mr. Krum, who is yours?" Professor Flitwick asked the Bulgarian.

"I am Viktor's second," Igor Karkaroff smirked.

The headmistress of Hogwarts wanted to intervene but Hermione beat her to it. "You better win this, Lord Potter. This should be very easy for you and Neville," Hermione smirked back at the Durmstrang Headmaster before lovingly kissing Harry's lips.

"I love you, my Lady," Harry whispered when they pulled apart for air.

"I love you too, Harry… Now get in there and defeat the nuisance," she said haughtily. Harry chuckled before he kissed his wife's cheeks. Of course, Luna didn't want Neville to feel left out so she leaned in and pecked Neville on the lips.

Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom walked toward the Quidditch Pitch with their respective ladies on their arm. They had shit-eating grins on their faces but their eyes were hardened with determination. Meanwhile, Viktor Krum was confused and worried. He never expected Potter to know about his plan. In fact, if we were honest with himself, he felt scared. It seemed that he made a mistake in underestimating the Boy Who Lived.

oOOOOo

"This is an honor duel between the House of Krum and the House of Potter. All the unforgivable curses are forbidden. When an unforgivable is cast, the caster is immediately declared the loser. The first one who yields is the loser. Duelers understand?" Professor Flitwick pointed his wand to his throat so that every person gathered in the Quidditch Pitch could hear everything he said.

"The House of Potter accepts," Harry said.

"As the second of House Potter, the House of Longbottom agrees," Neville bowed to the dueling master.

"House of Krum agrees," Viktor said gruffly. Igor Karkaroff only nodded as if he was bored.

"Duelers to your stations. At the count of three, understood?" Professor Flitwick eyed both parties who only nodded in acknowledgment.

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three…"

"First who yields wins!"

Viktor Krum was about to fire his first spell, a non-verbal _Reducto_ when he felt his wand being blown by a strong gust of wind that he ended up on his bum. He growled in anger. As he fumbled about to remove his extra wand hidden in his inner pocket. To his surprise, he felt the ground swallow his feet. He now had one free hand which he used to grope for his wand since his other limbs were trapped in solid rock.

Igor Karkaroff glanced at his champion and he screamed in anger. These two brats were using elemental magic they had learned from the mudblood which made the duel against their favor. If this was a battle of pure wand magic, then these brats never stood a chance. With their elemental magic though, this would be a tough duel to win.

Igor pointed a series of dark spells at Harry Potter but the teenager easily dodged them. He moved so fast that it seemed like he was gliding on air with every evasive tactic. He decided to focus on Longbottom, thinking that he was the weaker link, but the brat kept throwing rocks at him using elemental magic.

When Harry Potter's stunner hit Karkaroff squarely on the chest, he fell on his bum just like Viktor Krum.

Neville Longbottom raised his hands and locked the Headmaster of Durmstrang on the ground. Harry summoned Karkaroff's wand with an _Expelliarmus_ and he easily caught it before throwing it to Neville.

Harry and Neville walked toward the two fallen wizards and they could see the hatred in Viktor's eyes.

"You are cheating!" Viktor spat.

Harry rolled his eyes and pointed his wand to Viktor, _"Petrificus Totalus!"_

Turning to the cowardly Death Eater, Harry pointed his wand to Karkaroff, " _Ennervate!"_

Igor Karkaroff looked up and saw Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom looking down at him. Turning to his champion who was now petrified, he was gobsmacked, angry, and humiliated. He could only glare at the two brats.

"Do you yield?" Harry Potter asked.

"Never!" Igor hissed.

Harry made a slashing movement on his wand and aimed at Karkaroff's legs. He used a non-verbal _Sectumsempra_ so blood immediately oozed from the wounds as the Death Eater screamed in pain.

"Do you yield?" Harry tried again.

"I yield! I yield!" Igor panicked as he saw the blood oozing from his legs.

Filius Flitwick immediately approached the center of the pitch, his wand pointing on his throat, "The House of Potter wins!"

The crowd cheered, well at least the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and some students from Beaubaxtons. The Slytherins could only watch with their jaws dropped. Neville Longbottom, the pureblood they called squib, just performed elemental magic that successfully subdued the Headmaster of Durmstrang. Also, they were stunned at the display of Harry Potter's dueling skills. It seemed that the Boy Who Lived had some sort of advanced training. He dueled like a professional which reminded them of a very skilled auror.

The Bulgarian students could only wince at the sheer stupidity displayed by their headmaster and champion. If only they could board their ship and return home, they would. This was so embarrassing. The honor of Durmstrang just sank beneath the Black Lake because of Viktor's lust for the muggleborn girl who had so much power.

To everyone's surprise, instead of boasting his victory, Harry Potter only held Neville Longbottom's hand and raised it in the air briefly before turning to the bleeding Durmstrang headmaster once again.

Harry crouched down, pointed his wand to his throat, and said, "Karkaroff, I know you are a Death Eater so I'm going to make you a little deal… Leave Hogwarts after I say the counter curse and we can forget this ever happened."

The crowd was in shock. Harry Potter just outed the Durmstrang Headmaster!

"Fine! Fine! Just heal me, Potter!" Karkaroff pleaded.

" _Vulnera Sanentur! Vulnera Sanentur!"_ Harry pointed his wand all over Karkaroff's wounds and they immediately started to close. When the wound was slightly better, Harry turned to Neville who only nodded in understanding.

Neville lowered his hands and the rocks that bound Karkaroff and Krum to the ground immediately lowered and disappeared. With that, the crowd cheered once again.

Hermione and Luna were the first to reach Harry and Neville. Luna immediately wrapped her arms around Neville while Hermione snogged Harry as promised.

Since the other professors were amused at the sight, nobody noticed the dark glint in Igor Karkaroff's eyes.

Harry lifted Hermione and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She kissed him passionately – pouring all her love, pride, and happiness that he easily won the duel.

With her back perfectly turned to the Durmstrang Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff made his move.

As a Death Eater, Igor Karkaroff was best heralded for his skills with poisoned blades. He carried one wherever we went as a back-up. So, he discreetly searched his inner pocket and when he found the poisoned dagger, he smirked.

Checking if no one else was paying him any attention, he lifted the dagger in his right hand as he waited for the perfect timing. When Harry Potter turned Hermione Granger around, with her back now facing him and the crowd too busy cheering them on, he had a clear shot.

With practiced precision that he perfected through the years, he threw the poisoned dagger, aiming for the mudblood's back and bull's eye.

The poisoned dagger hit Hermione Granger in the back!

"Ha – Harry," Hermione winced in pain as she pulled away from the kiss.

"Hermione – what?!" Harry panicked.

Before Hermione could fall to the ground, her body immediately entered into the Avatar State as a last resort defense mechanism. Hermione was floating on a bed of wind surrounded by magical flames with her body facing the ground.

Everyone saw the dagger pierced through her back and Harry screamed in a mixture of anger and agony.

Igor Karkaroff was laughing like a madman. He knew that he was going to die but at least he had redeemed his pride at getting bested by two teenage bastards.

Harry's magic rippled against his skin as a strong gust of wind trailed after him. With a mere raising of his hand, Igor Karkaroff was lifted thirty feet into the air before he was dropped like a free-falling rag doll on the ground.

When Igor Karkaroff's broken body hit the ground, Harry pointed his wand to the man, pouring all his anger into the spell and said, " _Bombarda Maxima!"_

Igor Karkaroff died with the pieces of his body and all of his blood splattering all over the Quidditch pitch.

Harry was still seething in anger but Luna held his hand so he could focus on the most important thing – healing Hermione.

"Harry… Please, stop! We have to save Hermione!" Luna pleaded.

At just the mention of Hermione's name, Harry seemed to have remembered the most important thing that he must do.

"Sharpfang! Riptooth! Take us to Gringotts! Now!" Harry yelled.

"We'll go with you, Harry!" Neville volunteered and Luna nodded in agreement.

"Lord Potter, please hold Avatar Hermione's hand and grab hold of this rope. We will be providing another portkey for your friends," Sharpfang handed Harry the portkey which he immediately accepted.

When Harry glanced at the smug look on the fake Mad-Eye Moody's face, he saw red. There was no time to think things through but he wanted to get his revenge on another Death Eater at the very least. Consequences be damned! All their plans to defeat Voldemort before the second task had all gone to waste with Hermione now on the brink of death.

Removing the Elder Wand from his secret pocket, Harry pointed it to the impostor and hit him with his strongest stunner.

"Lord Potter! What did you do – " the headmistress exclaimed.

"Professor, that Moody is Barty Crouch Junior! He is an impostor! Give him _veritaserum_ so you can find the real Moody. Riptooth, take that bastard into custody after interrogation," Harry commanded.

"Of course, Lord Potter," Riptooth nodded.

Deciding to trust Harry's words, Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall bound the supposed impostor to the ground while Professor Slughorn asked a house-elf to fetch him a vial of _veritaserum._

"Hang on, Hermione… Hang on," Harry whispered with tears in his eyes as he held Hermione's hand. When the portkey activated, they disappeared.

oOOOOo

Beneath Gringotts, Blaze the Horntail roared angrily. Someone had hurt her goddess! They must pay! She had never even spent much time with her goddess and yet someone had already hurt her.

Blaze was thrashing around and roaring with fair that the goblin dragon handlers panicked.

When a dragon was uneasy, it could only mean that something bad had happened.

Since this dragon was the bonded creature to the Avatar, they knew that something must have happened to Avatar Hermione…

oOOOOo

Fawkes the phoenix felt the pain and the magical energy from Avatar Hermione ever so slowly fading away. As he felt the anguish from Harry Potter, the wizard he wanted to bond with, he disappeared in a blast of flame.

Harry Potter needed his help. Maybe he could help save Avatar Hermione too.

The world still needed the living embodiment of the Spirit of Magic in this world.

So, Fawkes must offer his help. If not, then at least he could be there for Harry Potter. The boy needed him.

oOOOOo

The last thing Hermione remembered was watching Harry and Neville dueling Viktor and Karkaroff. And then, when they easily won the duel, Harry made a deal with the Durmstrang Headmaster to leave Hogwarts immediately before he uttered the counter curse to the _Sectumsempra._ That was part of the strategy they agreed to do during Neville and Harry's training last night.

Everything went according to plan and she was just so relieved that Harry and Neville won the duel unscathed that she ran to her husband without a care in the world.

She snogged Harry senseless and she could feel her body being lifted from the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist and they continued kissing as the crowd cheered.

It was a desperate kiss because Harry had escaped danger again.

And then, there was an extreme pain on her back and she knew no more…

_Where am I?_

Hermione looked around and noticed that she was standing on a cliff overlooking a very beautiful beach. The water was so blue and peaceful.

"You've got to be kidding me! If I'm dead again, I'll go down in history as the worst Avatar ever!" she muttered as she tried to figure out where in the word she was right now.

Suddenly, she heard a loud sound – something like a roar but not quite. She looked up and saw a large animal flying through the air.

Hermione gasped as the white furry animal with brown arrow-shaped patches seemed to be heading to the cliff she was standing on. This animal was huge – a magical creature that she had never seen or read about before. It looked to be around ten tons and hovered in the air like it was swimming by moving its six paws and large fluffy tail. There were horns on its head and while it seemed fuzzy and cute, its sheer size made it intimidating too.

This animal was very strange. It looked to be a cross between a buffalo and a manatee but its body seemed to be like a water bear because it's so furry. When the large animal landed a few meters away from her, their eyes met.

The animal made a sound before it lightly bowed its large head.

"Hey big guy!" she tried greeting the animal to see how it would react. Again, it made the same sound.

She reckoned it seemed friendly so she moved closer.

When she was a foot away, the animal lowered its head so she could reach its snout. As soon as she touched the animal, she knew who it was.

"You're Appa, aren't you, buddy?" The animal made a sound of approval.

"You're so cute! You'll take me to Avatar Aang won't you?" Again there was the same sound of approval.

"Thank you, Appa," she lovingly patted the flying bison's snout and it licked her face in return which made her giggle. Appa was like a very large and cuddly flying bear.

Using air bending, Hermione jumped on Appa's back as she gripped on the reins. Through her connection to Aang, she remembered the signal, "Appa, yip yip!"

And with that, Avatar Hermione enjoyed her first flying trip on a sky bison's back…

oOOOOo

"Harry! We got here as soon as we can! What happened?" A tearful Emma Granger ran towards his direction.

"I'm sorry, Emma – there was a duel and Neville and I won – but we were careless and I – Hermione got hit! The poisoned dagger pierced through her back!" Harry stammered his explanation since he was crying too.

"Oh, Harry! Will she be alright?" Emma cried.

"I don't know, Emma… I really don't know… It seems really bad. According to Jewel, Hermione's goblin healer, if Hermione's Avatar powers didn't immediately take action, she would have been dead on the spot," Harry explained despite the tears falling down his cheeks.

"Can we see her, son?" Dan tried to be calm but his eyes showed the worry he felt. The handsome man looked severely aged in just a short span of time. The news of his daughter's condition clearly baffled him despite his effort to maintain a strong façade.

"I'm afraid that all we can do is wait, for now, Dan," Harry sighed.

"I see… Well, are there any updates yet?" Dan inquired and Harry could only shake his head to mean no.

"Oh, pup! I'm so sorry!" Sirius said.

Harry excused himself from Dan and Emma as he ran to his godfather's arms. Sirius immediately wrapped him in a warm embrace while Remus rubbed his back in support. He may be a forty-nine-year-old man inside but in times like these, he truly felt lost. It was like he was a child again and he just needed to cry on the shoulder of someone he completely trusted.

"Everything will be alright, pup! Hermione is a strong girl," Sirius reassured him.

"Yeah, cub. Padfoot is right! Your Hermione is a tough one. She's the Most Powerful Being alive after all! She'll survive this," Remus seconded.

"Siri! I came as soon as I heard," Amelia Bones entered the waiting area.

Harry pulled away from his godfather as he wiped his tears. Sirius turned to Amelia and greeted her with a loving peck on the cheek. Despite his fears for Hermione's life, he smiled a little at that. When Hermione woke up, he would regale her with tales of how besotted Sirius seemed to be. That piece of news should entertain her while she recovered. _Please, Hermione... You have to fight and survive... We need you... I can't live without you... We promised to be in this together, so you can't just leave me now..._

Sirius Black looked at Amelia Bones in a way that Harry had never seen in his godfather's eyes before. Sirius looked so in love and so happy that it made him wonder if he was the same when he stared at his Hermione.

Thinking of Hermione again, he felt the fear and sadness creeping into his heart. If Hermione died, all the trouble they had gone through in their previous life and all the efforts they made just to set things right would be for naught.

He couldn't do this without Hermione by his side.

She was his best friend, his confidante, his wife – she was his everything.

"Harry, are you alright?" Amelia reluctantly asked.

"I will be once Hermione wakes up, Madam Bones," he replied respectfully.

"Excuse me, boss, Director Ragnok would like a word with you," Tonks said as she stepped into the room. Harry noticed the way that the metamorphmagus immediately stole glances at Remus. _It seems that love is in the air for the Marauders,_ Harry thought with amusement. _Oh, Hermione! You have to wake up! We have to tease Sirius and Remus about this,_ he thought.

"Thank you for telling me, Auror Tonks. Siri, I'll be right back. Dan, Em, Harry, please be strong… The ministry has already asked the healers and researchers to look for alternative ways to cure Hermione," with that Amelia Bones left the room.

"Wotcher, Harry!" Tonks greeted.

"Hey, Tonks," he tried to smile.

"Oh, Harry! Hermione will be alright! That's the most badass witch in the world right there," Tonks tried to cheer him up.

"Dora… Now is not the time for – " Remus lightly admonished the young auror but Harry interrupted.

"It's fine Moony… Thank you, Tonks, for staying positive. I need that," Harry muttered.

"Ow!" Remus rubbed his shoulder because Tonks lightly punched him.

"See? Told you it was okay, Wolfie! You can be such a snob sometimes," Tonks teased. Harry actually chuckled at that. It seemed that even in this timeline, it was Tonks who actively pursued the shy and insecure werewolf.

"Maybe you and Moony can grab some food for all of us in vigil, Auror Tonks?" Harry winked.

"Come along, Wolfie! You heard the lad," Tonks mouthed 'thanks' to Harry as she pulled Remus away.

"Tonks has it bad for Remus… It's so adorable," Emma commented.

"They do make a cute couple," Dan added.

"They balance each other out," Harry agreed.

"Harry? How are you really? I heard… you killed a man?" Emma inquired gently.

"I know, Emma. But I had to. He hurt Hermione and I – I can't let him get away with it," Harry said with gritted teeth as he remembered the bastard Karkaroff. This felt like Dolohov hitting Hermione with a curse once again. Different Death Eater and method of injury but the impact was the same. Hermione was once again fighting for her life. The only difference was that this time around, he played a significant part in it. If only he wasn't careless, if only he subdued Karkaroff, if only he didn't allow himself to lose his situational awareness, Hermione would never have gotten hurt. He played a part in Hermione getting hurt. It was like the Department of Mysteries all over again and this time around, it was his complacency that got the better of them. At least before, he came to the ministry in the hopes of saving Sirius. But this! He could lose Hermione because of his carelessness and he just wanted to strangle himself.

"Thank you, son. Thank you for protecting our girl," Dan pulled Harry in for a hug. Emma rubbed Harry's back as Dan showed his gratitude. Harry didn't feel deserving of the thanks though because he was blaming himself for his stupidity.

They heard a melodic shrill so they ended their hug curious to see what it was. To their surprise, a beautiful bird appeared in a blast of flames. This bird's feathers were of red and gold color. Harry immediately recognized the majestic creature.

"Fawkes! What are you doing here?" Harry exclaimed as he extended an arm for the bird to perch on.

"Are you here to help, Hermione?" Fawkes made a sound that could only mean his agreement.

"Can you cry right now?" Fawkes shook his head to mean no.

"What about next week?" This time around, Fawkes sang a happy tune that could only be interpreted as a yes.

"Next week? Are you sure?" Harry confirmed. This was the first time that he truly felt hopeful.

Fawkes sang a happy tune once again before playfully nipping on Harry's ear.

"Oh, Fawkes! Thank you so much!" Harry was overwhelmed with joy. The phoenix flew around the waiting area before landing on top of a goblin statue.

Harry ran towards Hermione's hospital room and knocked frantically.

"Yes?" Jewel opened the door with a frown.

"Jewel, look!" Harry pointed to the phoenix resting on top of the statue.

"A phoenix!" Jewel exclaimed. Her eyes were filled with joy.

"Yes! That's Fawkes. He says that he can give us healing tears in a week… Do you think it will work?"

"It can work but we have to make sure that the Avatar will survive in the days before she can be given phoenix tears," Jewel explained.

"Can I – Can we see her now?" Harry pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Lord Potter. You can't see the Avatar yet… Hello Mr. and Mrs. Granger! I will let you know once the Avatar can have visitors," Jewel nodded respectfully before she closed the door again.

Harry sighed. He knew that this would be the longest week of his life.

The worst part, he could do nothing except to pray and to wait.

oOOOOo

Hermione was truly enjoying her ride on Appa. The friendly and cuddly flying bison was Avatar Aang's spirit guide many years ago. She wondered if there was a hidden colony of flying bison in the world. _Maybe not, because if they still existed, the non-magicals will easily spot them,_ she thought sadly.

Appa landed on a small tropical island and she saw five young people playing on the beach with the younger version of Avatar Aang. When she jumped off Appa's back, she lovingly patted the flying bison's snout before waiting for Aang and his friends to notice her arrival.

"Twinkle Toes! Look! The new Avatar is here," a petite girl who seemed to be around twelve punched Aang on the shoulder. The girl had short black hair with a green headband. She also wore a green tunic and green trousers that ended a few inches below her knees. There were gold bands on her wrists and her ankles but she was barefoot. Her eyes were of a unique color too, like they were unfocused. _She's blind,_ Hermione realized.

"Avatar Hermione!" Aang waved happily and she chuckled. Aang was truly so innocent and she was amazed at his child-like wonder.

"Hello, Avatar Aang," Hermione bowed respectfully.

With that, all of Aang's friends stopped goofing off. All six of them returned her gesture of formal greeting.

"Avatar Hermione, meet Team Avatar," Aang gestured to his friends.

"Meet Toph Beifong, the greatest earth bender of all time. She was the first to discover metal bending and she's my earth bending master," Aang gestured to the girl who called him Twinkle Toes.

"Hey, Hermione. My name's Toph," the little girl waved.

"Hi," she smiled.

To Hermione's surprise, Toph raised her hands and kicked the sand. There was now a sand statue that looked just like her on her right.

"Stop showing off, Toph!" An older boy in a blue tunic whose hair was tied in a man bun snorted.

"You're just jealous, Sokka," Toph blew him a raspberry.

"Toph, Sokka, stop it! You're embarrassing us," a beautiful girl with long black hair scolded the bickering duo.

"Ignore them, Avatar Hermione. The beautiful lady over here is my Katara, she's my water bending master and my wife," Aang introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Katara. Aang talks about you a lot," she grinned.

"Tell me about it," Toph rolled her eyes and they chuckled at that while Aang blushed.

"Shesh! This is taking so long! Hi, Avatar Hermione! My name is Zuko. I'm a fire bender," A handsome boy with a scar on his face introduced himself.

"Nah! Aang should do the introductions. You're too boring _Fire Lord_ Zuko," Sokka remarked.

"That's Zuko. He's a Fire Lord and my fire bending teacher… Sokka is Katara's elder brother and he makes our battle strategies. Handy with a sword and a boomerang. Dated the moon spirit once," Aang introduced.

"You dated the moon spirit?" she was confused.

"He's a weirdo, Avatar Hermione," Toph smirked and Sokka huffed.

"I'm Suki, I'm a Kiyoshi Warrior. Handy with a fan and martial arts," a beautiful girl dressed in a female warrior's outfit that had some geisha elements on the design introduced herself.

"Hello Toph, Katara, Fire Lord Zuko, Sokka, and Suki," Hermione greeted everyone.

"Fire Lord Zuko!" Sokka and Toph pointed to the handsome boy while chuckling like idiots.

"Just call me Zuko, Avatar Hermione." The former Fire Lord seemed embarrassed.

"Right, sorry," she said sheepishly.

"So… Now that we're finished with the introductions… Hermione, did you enjoy your ride on Appa? Fun, huh?" Aang grinned.

"Appa's adorable! I haven't seen anything like him," Hermione praised and Appa made a sound that made them laugh.

"I'm glad that you already bonded with a spirit guide. You're Blaze is a beautiful majestic creature. Avatar Roku is so proud that a descendant from Fang's colony bonded to you," Aang said.

"Blaze sort of found me through Harry," Hermione chuckled.

"It's so cool that your man can talk to snakes," Toph smirked and Sokka tried to punch her shoulder but she easily dodged it.

"You two idiots should stop bickering. The Avatar is on borrowed time here," Suki admonished.

"Sorry," Toph and Sokka chorused.

"Avatar Hermione, I summoned you here because this will be the last part of your spiritual training. You have done a lot of significant changes which I am very thankful for… But your real work is about to start," Aang was all seriousness now.

"Huh? What do you mean?" she was confused.

"The reason why you were given a second chance at life is that in your time as the Avatar, there will be another Harmonic Convergence. It means that you will have to fight Vaatu in your journey as the Avatar," Aang explained.

"But – I thought – "

"In your previous life, your daughter will unleash Vaatu on the world causing darkness to reign all over… You cannot defeat your daughter because of personal attachment. So, we gave you a second chance," Aang expounded.

"Oh… I see," she muttered.

"All six of us, we will be training you so you can prepare for your big fight," Aang continued.

"We already have plans for Voldemort – "

"No! Voldemort is not your battle. He's your Harry's hurdle. What I'm talking about is your battle with Vaatu in seventy years," Aang interrupted.

"Oh…"

"First thing that you have to do is to establish your own team. You need to build a solid group of friends that will help you in your journey," Aang gestured to his friends who only smiled at her.

"Okay so I need a solid group of benders, right? I already have Harry, Luna, Neville, and Seamus," Hermione answered.

"Excellent choice on your first bending students. All of them have excellent potential… You can trust Draco too. So, if you include him in your group, you will only need one more. Someone who is not a bender," Aang suggested.

"Noted on that, Aang," Hermione nodded.

"Alright, let's start with Toph since she's the toughest teacher. It's time we improve on your earth bending, sand bending, and metal bending skills," Aang pointed to Toph who only kicked on the sand and a hardened ball immediately formed beside her.

"How long will I be here?" she just had to ask.

"Until we're finished teaching you all that you need to know," Aang replied.

"But Harry – and Voldemort! And our plans! He needs me," she was panicky now.

"Oh, sheesh! Your man can handle himself, Fiery Hair!" Toph interrupted and her friends stifled a laugh.

"Fiery Hair?" Hermione exclaimed.

"That's Toph. She likes calling people names. Hence, Twinkle Toes," Aang grinned.

"You're lucky I like you, Toph!" Hermione huffed before turning to Aang again.

"The Master of Death needs to learn how to fight his own battles. He's done it before and he will do it again now. You will awaken when the time is right," Aang insisted.

"Oh, alright! Lead the way Team Avatar," Hermione acquiesced. Since Avatar Aang was her mentor, who was she to argue? Besides, if she were to battle Vaatu during a Harmonic Convergence sometime in the future, then she better be prepared.

The balance of the spirit and mortal worlds rested on her shoulders.

If she wanted to bring a balance between good and evil, then she needed to learn as much as possible.

oOOOOo

The time had finally come for Fawkes to be able to shed some healing tears for Hermione. Thankfully, with the combined efforts of the goblin healers and the experts from St. Mungo's, they were able to preserve Hermione's body while she was in a semi-Avatar state.

Still on her bed of wind and elemental fire, Hermione looked to be the same as she once was – the dagger still on her back. They never attempted to remove it because if they could not pour any antidote to the poison, then she would die.

So, the healers only did their best to preserve her body until Fawkes would be ready.

And now, the time has finally come.

Jewel, the main healer assigned to Hermione's care, took a deep calming breath. With slightly shaking hands, she slowly pulled the dagger off the Avatar's back.

When the dagger was fully removed, Jewel winced when she saw the deep wound on the Avatar's smooth skin. She looked at the phoenix and nodded. It was time.

Fawkes flew around the room with a comforting melody for everyone. He then landed on the Avatar's floating body. Carefully leaning in, Fawkes dropped tears directly on the fresh wound.

Hermione started to shake so the four healers immediately grabbed hold of each of her limbs to help steady her. Jewel was very careful to not let any droplet of tears go to waste.

With bated breaths and hopes in their chest, they waited…

And then, the wound started to close until the skin was now smooth and completely healed.

Jewel started to chant to check if the Avatar was alright. A few minutes later, the diagnostic results were in. The Avatar was completely healed.

The only problem was she was still surrounded by elemental fire and a bed of air. She was still glowing.

It could only mean one thing – her spirit was undergoing a battle…

The healers could no longer do anything for her.

All they could do was wait.

oOOOOo

Harry was pacing outside Hermione's room while the Granger parents were gripping each other so tightly as they waited for any news. Sirius and Amelia were sitting together. Remus and Tonks were standing by a corner. Neville, Luna, Seamus, and the Weasley twins were also there. Draco wanted to come but as their spy, he had to stay at Hogwarts.

They all wanted to be there when the news of Hermione's recovery would be announced. They were all hopeful that she would awaken. Phoenix tears were the purest form of light magic. If Fawkes saved Harry from the basilisk venom, then surely Hermione would be healed too.

No one thought about the possibility of Hermione dying.

She just had to survive. She just had to.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, the door opened.

Instead of the happy and relieved look they were expecting, Jewel seemed confused, shaken, and frightened.

"What's wrong, Jewel? How is Hermione?" Harry voiced the thoughts of everyone in the waiting room.

"The wound is completely healed. The phoenix tears worked their magic to perfection – "

"Yes!"

"Thank God!"

"Merlin above! Thank you!"

They all cheered, cried, and hugged each other in relief.

"The Avatar is not awake!" Jewel shouted since all of them were too caught up in their celebrations.

"What?!" Harry was the first to hear Jewel's words.

Everyone stopped cheering as they turned to the goblin healer.

"The wound is healed and she is completely alright. The problem is that she won't awaken. She's in some sort of prolonged Avatar state… It's like her spirit is on a journey. We can no longer do anything for her. If she wants to come back, then she will… If not – "

"My baby! No!" Emma Granger pushed her husband's arms as she ran to her daughter's room. She was able to enter because Jewel was still talking to them and the door to Hermione's room was unlocked.

"Mrs. Granger – " Jewel tried to stop the aggrieved mother but Harry gently held her arm.

"Please, Jewel… Let Emma see her daughter…. Maybe, we can talk to her and she'll come back to us," Harry pleaded.

"Alright, my Lord," Jewel acquiesced.

Harry was about to enter the door but Jewel held his arm, "I am sorry, Harry. We tried our best… We can only hope she'll come back."

"I know, Jewel. Thank you," Harry tried to smile but he failed. He just couldn't accept the fact that he could still lose Hermione.

Harry entered Hermione's room while the rest quietly followed. Emma was already on her knees, crying her heart out.

Hermione was still there. Her eyes were glowing and she was now floating on her back. Her bed of wind and elemental fire seemed to be more peaceful now but she was still lost to them.

Harry crouched down and wrapped his arms around the distraught Emma.

"She will come back to us, Emma. She will come back," Harry said with as much confidence as he could muster. _Please, Hermione, come back to us… We need you..._

oOOOOo

"Master! Master!" Peter Pettigrew waved a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ in the air. He had exciting news for his master.

"Quiet, you idiot!" the tiny rudimentary body that was Voldemort snarled.

"I'm sorry, my Lord, but I have excellent news for you," Peter spoke in a calmer voice this time.

"Then tell me what it is!" Voldemort said impatiently.

"The mudblood has been cured by the phoenix tears but she won't awaken. Maybe she never will – "

"Give me the paper!"

With slightly shaking hands, Peter dropped the paper on the space beside his master. Since Nagini was coiled around the armchair, Peter was too scared to upset the snake and its owner. Despite the ugly baby-like form of his master, the Dark Lord could still inflict the worst pain through his series of _Crucios._

The Dark Lord read the paper for a few minutes before he looked up with a sinister glint in his eyes.

"Capture any ministry employee, Peter! We'll do the resurrection ritual soon. Any ministry employee can be used as the _blood of the enemy._ With the mudblood down, she cannot protect, Potter. I will regain my body and kill Potter. Maybe I can even transfer the mudblood's powers to me… It's time for Lord Voldemort to rise again…"

"Ye – yes, master!" Peter stammered.

"What are you waiting for you, idiot! Kidnap me a ministry official – NOW!" Voldemort hissed.

"Yes, master! Right away!" Peter stood straight as he tried to fight his shivers from showing.

"Don't you dare disappoint me, Peter. _Crucio!"_ and with that Voldemort gave Peter Pettigrew a taste of the punishment that awaited him should he fail in his mission.

oOOOOo

Meanwhile, in the in-between, Avatar Hermione trained with the original members of Team Avatar as she learned about advanced forms of elemental bending, fighting, and the complete history of magic…

So far, she learned a startling revelation about her own history.

The reason why she was chosen by Raava to be the Avatar was because she's a descendant of Morgana Le Fay. She was chosen to regain the honor that was lost by the line of Le Fay because of Morgana's crimes against magic.

Lastly, she discovered that there's more to her and Harry just being magically compatible. She and Harry were destined to be life mates for a specific reason. They were both destined to restore the honor lost by their ancestors.

Harry for the Peverells – the people who started the wand revolution many years ago.

And her – for the crimes of Morgana Le Fay, the darkest witch in the time of Camelot.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Appa and Toph! It's pretty obvious.
> 
> So, what do you think?
> 
> Review, fave, and follow if you enjoyed it.
> 
> P.S. Book 1 of the series "Avatar Hermione and the Master of Death" is almost finished. God Save The Children only has two more chapters left. I already have some scenes in mind for Book 2 but I can't think of a title yet.


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